Cracked Me Up

How many engineers does it take to install a garage door? Well apparently at least two, and they better have two days to do it...

My wife and I recently purchased a brand new home, just finished in February. This house is bare bones... nothing in it except the bare necessities. This week I have spent my free time hanging shades and mini-blinds. Today, my friend Mike from Maui and I started to install a garage door opener.

This should have been an easy installation for two guys who used to, or currently, install telescopes for USAF. Well let me tell you, it was not that easy. First, the opener did not come with all the necessary hardware. Then, when we finally got everything together that we needed and started to make some real progress, disaster struck.

Mike went to open the door, and it hit the trolley mechanism that pulls the door up or pushes it down once it is fully installed. The jolt was enough to actually rip the mostly mounted opener right out of the wall! Luckily for me I was holding it up and the time, so it didn't go crashing to the floor, it did wake us up a little though.

We went to Home Depot for the third time to get some longer lag bolts to ensure that we hit the studs this time. We reanchored everything, and started to go from there. Things were going great until it came time to install the wiring.

You see when the house was built, they prewired the garage for the opener. The only problem was, they did not mark anything. So Mike and I were standing there wondering how the heck we were going to figure out which wire goes where. Well good thing for us we are both fairly intelligent men. All we had to do was wire the controller, and then hook the other end of the wires into the opener until we found the set that turned the light on and off. That only took an extra half hour or so.

Once we overcame not having the right hardware, the opener falling out of the wall and the builders not marking the pre-wires things started to run smoothly again. Nothing fell out of the wall, and Mike and I managed to walk away from the experience relatively uninjured. We spent about 8 hours today working on this dang door opener, and it is still not completely installed. We should be able to get the rest done tomorrow though.

So, it took two of us twice the time it took my brother to do his... Funny thing is my brother is a chef and has very limited experience installing things. Goodness... it was so funny for me to have to go to him for help and input... It really has been a humbling week.

Prayers,

Pisio

Shane Victorino

"Don’t waste life in doubts and fears; spend yourself on the work before you, well assured that the right performance of this hour’s duties will be the best preparation for the hours and ages that will follow it."

Not sure who said it, but I got it from here.

I was watching Sports Center tonight, and a name from my past flashed across the screen. Someone was talking about the Philadelphia Phillies, and how Shane Victorino would be key to their success... Well I looked up and low and behold saw someone who was in 7th grade when I was a senior in high school.

This would not have meant too much to me if it had been someone else, but I remember a conversation I had with one of his really good friends. It went something like this:

Noelani: "I know Shane will make it... I just know it he can do it if he keeps working"

Me: "You have got to be kidding me... no one from Maui will ever play Major League Baseball, especially that kid"

Noelani: "You pig!"

Me: "Oink Oink"

Well, congratulations to Shane, and Noelani... Noelani because she was right for once, and Shane for making me eat some humble pie. Holy Thursday is a very appropriate day for me to have to eat the humble pie as well...

I guess I knew he was playing for the Phillies last year, but this blog was not open yet for a public admission that sometimes (although very rarely) I have no idea what I am talking about.

HEHEHEHE... Just kidding... Generally I just spew mindless garbage out there, but it is what is eating me...

Shane's work paid off for him, and he should be commended. He conquered his fears and silenced our doubts... Not bad for a Maui Boy... I hope you never forget where you came from...

Prayers...

Pisio

More Taoist Wisdom

" When the best rulers achieve their purpose, their subjects claim the achievement as their own."
---Lao Tze

This is statement I think outlines the ultimate difference between liberal and conservative principles. Under conservatism, strong leaders are invisible and your success is your own. With a liberal system, no one gets credit for anything except the government...

Ultimately this is why liberalism will fail. It enables no one, and ultimately no one has any incentive to get ahead. There is no competition between products, since all prices are regulated by the government, and there is no incentive to create newer and better ways of doing things, since ultimately that belongs to the government as well.

I guess what I described is more socialism than liberalism, but liberals want to take us in the communal direction. I am pretty sure that people like Hillary and Obama are not stupid people, but the road that they want to take us down sure is, and the American voting masses are being swept right up into it. Their line of thinking has failed every time that it has been tried. They have not learned though, and they must just think that with the right funding it will work.

The real problem is, in order to get the funds that they need to fund their programs they have to take more and more of your tax money to do it. If you take all my money to provide me with a service, ultimately you bankrupt both of us. That is why socialism will never work. You need money to make the programs work, and eventually if there is no one making money or producing goods and services so money changes hands, everything breaks down. Everyone has become a ward of the state and rather than accomplish anything they just sit around and well... I am not sure what they would be doing.

Under a conservative small government no one is a victim of a government strong hand. The only thing limiting anyone is their own drive and ability. The government stays out of the way and facilitates limited activities. As a result I am free to create and compete as I please. The only thing that limits my success is my own drive, or lack of it. Truly amazing... Better yet, because the government has stayed out of my way, the accomplishments are mine. They can not claim them; every.

Why is it that so many people, especially the young, are being duped into thinking BHO and HRC are capable of leading this country? What has either of them ever done? How is the change that they want for us good for us, and how do they plan on implementing that change? If I fall off the roof and break my leg that is change, but it is not good change.

I fear that we are heading towards socialism, which is disturbing. The greatest force on Earth, for good, is becoming France. A bunch of spineless relativist monkey bangers. Perhaps this Democracy is on the way out... Perhaps though, some one some where will get it, and be able to save some of their friends...

So... next time someone asks you the role of government in the United State, say that they need to stay out of our way, and allow us to claim our accomplishments...

Prayers,

Pisio

Parenting

Teenagers, God's little reminder of what it is like to have someone made in your image who denies your existence and does not want to talk to you...

I heard that and I almost choked. It is so true. And you know what? In my humble opinion it is the parent's fault that their kids turn into such little shitheads. I see it all the time, and one thing holds true 96% of the time... The closer your relationship to God is as a parent, the better your kids are going to turn out.

I see it all the time... there are parents out there who literally abuse their kids and get away with it. This is not a physical abuse in the traditional sense, and most people will never recognize it. Parents keep their kids so busy that they do not even have time to sit and eat together once a day. They spend their time running their kids from one event to another never allowing their kids to breath... or rest for that matter. It is abuse... physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual.

Generally the type of parents described above have kids that turn out to be total shitheads. They are not bad kids, they just direct their anger at everyone and anyone who is not their peer. Any adult authority figure is ridiculed and disrespected. Anything that their parents want them to do is looked at as a burden, and they lash out at everything... Their kids may succeed socially and financially, but they are spiritually bankrupt. It is really sad how their parents have screwed them up so bad.

Then their are the parents who pray together with their kids... and well... act like parents. They set realistic boundaries and limits on what their kids can do. They do not allow the child to quit half way through something... You sign up for it, you finish it. They support their kids, and want them then to succeed, but they also know their roles as parents.

Recently I was told by a parent of a teen in the Confirmation program I run that one day I would understand how Church would not be a priority.... Well... I wanted to vomit, and had to hold it back, and I wanted to slap her. How can you make Christianity and enhancement to your life, and not your way of life? Modern Christians have screwed up what it means to be Christian, and the Faith is now a lifestyle enhancement, not a lifestyle. God has become a big candy dispenser in the sky.

Oh well... I can call them out on things all that I want, but the fact is the choice is up to them. As long as I know that I am being faithful to what He is calling me to, I have nothing else to worry about. I pray that I will not be one of the parents that screws their kids up so badly that God is an enhancement... I also resent someone saying that I will understand allowing their faith life and spiritual growth to take a back seat to soccer, or volleyball or any other social event. Christianity is a lifestyle, not a social club...

Prayers,

Pisio

Contented

“Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” - Lao Tzu

There is just something to Taoist philosophy that I really connect to. I have read the Tao De Ching several times, and each time I catch something new. I am not sure if the above quote is in there, as it has been several years since I have read the book, but if it is not it should be. I actually found the quote here.

I know that at times my cynical nature comes out on this blog, but despite that, since turning 25 about six years ago, I have accepted that things just are what the are. It is not that there is nothing lacking, but that I can rejoice in what I have. I have seen true poverty in the Philippines, and have come to accept that the hardest choice I will have to make tomorrow is what to wear for the day. Quite a few people in the Philippines though will have to make the choice between food or medicine, life or death.

Yet, despite the fact that they have nothing, the filipinos are honestly happy people. They are content with nothing... it was a concept so foreign to me as an American that I found it quite strange the first time I was there. I found myself thinking how is it that you can live like this, and be so happy? They would have given me the shirt off their back had I needed it... even if it was the only shirt that they owned.

It took me a while to realize where their joy in life came from. I guess it took about a week. When Sunday rolled around I realized where their hope and joy came from... their faith. It is a faith that is deep and rich and true. The Gospel had taken root in their lives almost like it was all they had... in retrospect... it was. The only think that kept the filipinos going each day was their faith in Christ. It was truly a lesson in humility for this American Joe born and raised in a place where my a hardest choice regarding food is whether or not to supersize my meal.

I think that I truly realized what it meant to be content while visiting the Philippines. When I stumbled across the quote above from Lao Tzu I knew that I had to write about how my trips to the Philippines has changed my perspective on what it is to be an American. I guess I am an unusual one since I am now honestly contented with what I have...

Prayers,

Pisio

It has been a while

Sorry for not being around much the weekend. I had to work the whole time. Last night I actually go to sleep in my own bed again. For those of you who may be single, it is a weird feeling to be alone in bed after a few years of having someone there every night. I never seem to sleep as soundly as I do when she is around.

I don't know why it is, but I guess I just get really uncomfortable when I am away from my wife. It is almost like even though I am only going to be gone for a night or two I still miss her like I may never see her again. Perhaps I am a hapless romantic... perhaps I am still in love... perhaps I am just a weirdo... either way, or all of the above, I know that I am not the same person with out her. I hate to sound cliche, or like Jack Nicholson ever, but she makes me want to be a better man.

Friggin blogger won't let me upload one of my favorite pictures of her right now... Maybe later I will switch from Safari to Firefox and try it from a different browser... maybe I will just leave this one pictureless... :(

Well here pretty soon, I hope to have some pictures of how the weekend went. Unfortunately since most of the teenagers on the retreat that took me away from my wife and son for the weekend are under 18, so I can not post pictures of them. Perhaps I will get permission from some of their parents to post the pictures of them though... Once I see the pictures I will decide from there.

Any way... It is snowing here in Colorado (again), and this is a perfect night to snuggle with the wifie. Unfortunately, we are both addicted to blogging :). She is dropping her entrecard right now, and I am getting sleepy once again...

Tomorrow night I will post something about politics or religion again... tonight, I only have the energy to post one more line...

I love you Jonah Liza Ramo Africano...

Prayers,

Pisio