The Olympics are well underway.  I haven’t heard another word about pollution or human rights.  I have heard quite a few funny stories, such as the singer at the opening ceremonies was lip synching because the girl with the good voice had buck teeth.  Also, there have been a few comments about censorship by the Chinese government.

Overall, though, the Chinese seem to be doing a great job hosting the Olympics.  I’ve certainly enjoyed the games.  All of the facilities look more professional and nice than they have been in past games.

Cheers to the Chinese!

The Olympics are well underway.  I haven’t heard another word about pollution or human rights.  I have heard quite a few funny stories, such as the singer at the opening ceremonies was lip synching because the girl with the good voice had buck teeth.  Also, there have been a few comments about censorship by the Chinese government.

Overall, though, the Chinese seem to be doing a great job hosting the Olympics.  I’ve certainly enjoyed the games.  All of the facilities look more professional and nice than they have been in past games.

Cheers to the Chinese!

Face it… The war in Iraq was necessary.  It improved the lives of the Iraqi people.  Ultimately, our intervention will result in improvements in regional security.  We wouldn’t be America if we didn’t fight for the freedom of oppressed people.  However, now that I’ve read this report, I have a different opinion about the money we are spending to rebuild Iraq.  Check this out: 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20080805/wl_mcclatchy/3010139

I saw this today and it made me laugh out loud.  Normally, I chastise writers for being so one-sided in political debates.  However, since this guy made his rant funny, I’ll let him off the hook.  Some of the comments are funny too.

http://www.imao.us/archives/010284.html

I am devastated.  Castle Hill Cafe was my favorite restaurant in the world, comparing food quality and price.  You couldn’t find a better meal anywhere for less money.  They’re tagline was actually “Affordable Fine Dining,” and they lived up to that slogan.  Even bottles of wine were priced at a 25% markup rather than the typical 100% to 200%. 

Anyway, if you are in Austin this weekend, try to find time to squeeze in (I’m sure it will be packed).  It’s well worth it.

Here’s the report and explanation from the Austin-American Statesman:  Castle Hill Cafe Closes

Today is the day we remember what we are fighting for.  Fathers all over America will reflect on how important their families are to them and that the reason we work so hard every day of the year is to provide a better life for our families.

It is also important to remember that spending time with our children is important to their development.  Spend as much time with your kids as you can throughout the year so that they learn the importance of family.

Take time now to plan a trip with your family that everyone will enjoy.  Take them to Washington DC or New York City to see the attractions that relate to our country’s history.  Take them to the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone or Yosemite or Niagara Falls to see the natural wonders we are blessed with.

Here’s a link to our reviews of the Superbowl XLI commercials.  Overall, we were disappointed with the quality, but there were a few gems.  We give Coca-Cola props for having the most professional commercials overall.  E-Trade came out with two great ones to stay on top of the all-time rankings.  Budweiser and Bud Light had some good ones, too.  Our overall favorite this year was ”Robot Nightmare” from GM.  Enjoy the ratings:

Superbowl Commercials 

Prince put on a decent show.  It’s hard for a musician to do much by themself on a stage in the middle of a football stadium.  Sounding good is a must, obviously, but visually it’s hard to make much of an impact without an army of people or lights.  A great illustration is the Cirque du Soleil performance before the game.  Very inspiring in bits and pieces, but it didn’t do much to create visual images for the crowd.  Prince, however, is a great performer, so the show was excellent.  There are few recording artists who could have done a better job.  Kudos to CBS for selecting Prince.

We watched part of the Superbowl XLI pre-game show, and were quite appalled at all the discussion about folks who never won a Superbowl and what that means.  The most shocking was Shannon Sharpe’s comment about how your career is defined by whether or not you win a Superbowl, all the while sitting between two guys who are Hall of Fame quarterbacks who never won a Superbowl.  Marino and Esiason should have just punched him.

Wow.  Are you kidding me?  How do you not (a) kick away from that guy; and (b) smother him if he accidentally does catch the ball.  Unbelievable that the Colts are already in a 7-point hole.  We picked the Bears to win Superbowl XLI, but we also discussed the fact that we didn’t think there was much chance of Hester scoring in this game.  Oh, well.