The Mind of Mr. M

I think that I have been taken our friends at Microsoft a little fore granted. I have had a Windows Live Space for longer than I have had a facebook or myspace account.   That being said, I haven’t done anything to keep it updated or active, in fact, I have forgotten it all together.

So, today I went on there and found that it has followed trend and integrates with every other social network to which I belong. So, updating other networks will update my profile page on Windows Live Spaces also.  That should help my results on Bing searches as well.

It is totally crazy, with all the technology and integration available to us, it makes it easier than ever for us to share information globally…WOW! Now, if I could just figure out something important to say….

So what is customer service? Don't ask Safelite Auto Glass, they don't know. Today, I had to replace my windshield and at the recommendation of Geico's online service, we went with their preferred glass shop, Safelite Auto Glass. If you wondering why I am using the full name, it is because I want to make sure Google gets this to the top of the results when someone is looking for them.

So, I scheduled the service this morning with Safelite Auto Glass online and they confirmed and sent me an email saying that they would come out to my house to replace the windshield in our van between 12-5PM. At 1PM, I called to say I hadn't heard from the local office for Safelite and wanted to make sure everything was in order for us to have it done between 12 and 5 as confirmed. They said everything was on schedule and that we would get a call from the technician to give us a more specific time as soon as he could. That was fine…

Then the technician calls my wife at 4PM to tell us that he wouldn't be by until 5:30 and 6PM an hour after our block of time. My wife calls me and tells me and I call back to Safelite, to ask what had happened. As I tell them about the situation, the person on the phone spends 5 minutes explaining to me that is why they give a 4 hour window for scheduling. **AHEM** excuse me, but the window was five hours and your technician called to tell us it would be 30 minutes to an hour outside that window, to which the operator say, "Well, we tried. What would you like me to do about it?" And it wasn't a, "Hey, how can I make this right?" tone. It was a "How is this my problem tone." Nice…

It just seems to me that customer service is dead…really all I want is for people to follow through with what they said they are going to do for my money. That's what I want…if you aren't going to give me what I want, why should I give you my money? The cool part is that I replace my windshield more often than most, my truck needs one right now too. I also recognize that glass places make their money, not off my deductible, but off what insurance will pay. That being said, I will probably not be using Safelite for my glass purchases in the future and through the power of social media, hope that my friends will help me make a statement by not using them either.

I just got home from my sons third and fourth grade flag football game for the City of Legacy Center. I am mildly extremely frustrated at what took place. The most frustration comes from the fact that four players, including my son sat out for all but the last two minutes of the second half. Even more frustrating is the reason, so the coach could preserve his undefeated record, in a development league that isn't supposed to even keep score. Now, I have to admit, I didn't completely understand his motive, I thought he was just playing favorites to his grandson and his two assistant coaches kids because it was the last game of the season. I came to my further understanding, when he had the kids sign his coaching shirt with their team record on it, which I will not disclose because, we don't keep score.

Next, was the total lack of sportsmanship on the coaches part. He was actually yelling at the official for calling penalties against rushing early. The rule is that you have to wait three seconds and then the referee yells rush and your team can rush. Our coach didn't think the referee was doing a good enough job and started yelling rush, himself, for which the coach was flagged.

I just think to myself this is third and fourth grade and it is being treated like it is some all important championship league. Now, I think I have heard every excuse in the book for why it is this way. From, "this is the real world," to, "we just teaching the kids to be the best." Hello, reality check coaches, none of these kids have reached their best. Actually, you are doing the kids that are still learning a disservice by not giving them the play time they need to improve and the kids who are more talented a disservice by telling them they can be cocky and arrogant because their team is stacked.

Reality is a good coach, works with the team he has to teach teamwork, discipline, and sportsmanship. What about good old fashion class? Now, in no way am I saying that winning doesn't have its place in sports, obviously it does. But the nature of the beast is that there are winners and losers, how you handle one is just as important as how you handle the other. Are we teaching kids that you should win at any cost, even you character?

I put my kids in sports so they can be active, develop motor skills, and learn teamwork. If they learn those things and appreciate the game, that's what I want. Where are the coaches that can teach them that! I think it's time I go back and pick up my whistle...

One of my favorite shows, don't judge, is the medical drama house. Though it was more pronounced in other season, Dr. House has a catch phrase, "Everybody Lies." Now when I initially thought about the concept I disagreed. I thought that saying everybody lies, was just a cynical view at humanity. I just assumed that because lying is inherently wrong that to make such a broad statement is easily not true.

What changed?

I think that I have come to realize that the statement, "Everybody Lies," could be more truthful than cynical.

Think about raising children, that's the easiest one to point out. Do you ever, or should I say, have you ever lied to your kids? And before I go further, misleading is a lie let's not kid ourselves. So, if there has ever been a time that you led your child to believe something, whether for their good, tradition, or otherwise, you would prove the statement, "Everybody Lies," to be true. Now, I know that some of you are thinking, "Hey, but that is different." Ok, if it make you feel better, as I asked not to be judged, I won't either.

Let's jump to being a student. Have you ever been less than honest about not completing your homework? To a team or group that depended on you for your piece of a project? Or maybe the reason that you didn't come to school wasn't really the truth? Have you ever done, a simple, "Yeah, I knew that," to look smarter or not to look like an idiot?

Moving on to dating or marriage, have you ever said something just to be impressive? To keep from hurting someone you care about, or make them feel better by telling them what they want to hear, even if it wasn't completely true?

What about in legal matters, ever lie to protect someone? Lie to a police officer? Would the truth get you a ticket, arrested? Ever been less than honest to a creditor about a payment you knew you couldn't make or that you never made?

How about at work, when your family's livelihood depends on you playing nice with others. Kept your mouth closed, when opening it would cost your job. Omission is deceiving, deception is a lie.

I have so many others I could add but I will see if anyone else wants to contribute through their comments...

Even if you can say, I don't lie anymore...but have lied just once, Dr. House's statement would still be true.

Again, I am not judging...just thinking out loud...is it true, "Everybody Lies?"

Today in my daughter's fifth grade class they had a doughnut day where parents come in and have a doughnut and read a book with their kids. I was impressed with how many parents showed up for the event and actually seemed to enjoy that time with their kids.

However, what struck me even more, was the four kids that didn't have anyone show up for the event. Now, I know that things happen and people have work and other obligations that keep them from having a schedule flexible enough to go to an event like that so I am not going to gripe. I have had my share of missed events.

My thought today, is to get someone to go in your place. It seems like we all have someone we could ask to be a stand-in for important events to make sure that your child isn't sitting a table looking at all the other kids with someone there. I think that showing your child their important doesn't necessarily mean losing your job or skipping an appointment.

I think sometimes showing them their important can be as simple as explaining the situation thoroughly and finding someone who to take your place.

I am sure this is going to get me some eye rolling and poked fun of, this is totally a muse no scientific facts or evidence. Nor is it anything that I have been taught in religious circles (i.e. don't criticize my faith). It is merely my own brain fodder. So, if you are looking for hard facts stop reading. This is my huge "what if" scenario, so keep an open mind and enjoy.

I hear many people talking about how different science and religion are and I have always felt personally that science is proving what religion already knows. Though that is completely opinion, it sent me down a road that gave me a great deal of thought and speculation. I have read about all the time and energy spent in The Human Genome Project. I think it's fascinating that they are able to map specific characteristics of mankind. They claim to have with accuracy discovered several aspects of chromosomal companionships that determine everything from physical appearance to predisposition of certain maladies. Some scientists have even claimed the ability to modify DNA to the point that they can affect the outcome of some of those characteristics. I know that I am intentionally being vague, but I don't want to spend the time to reference everything. Feel free to research and you will see what I am saying is ambiguous but correct.

That being said, it's of my opinion that DNA could be the link between science and religion. From what we little we know about DNA, I think there is an interesting theory we could introduce and wait for science to prove. ;-D

I will turn to a series of questions to explain my thought:

What if the story of creation and the Garden of Eden was a well conducting well organized genetics project? Think about it in what we know now. Science can alter the genetics of plants to make them more resilient and fruitful. Couldn't they create a perfect garden, if they started with a controlled environment? Think Bio-Dome…I know this is fairly obvious for those with any sort of science back ground but I will move on to "the meat" of my thoughts.

What if Adam and Eve were created with a specific set of DNA mappings, a perfect set? What if God knew every detail of those mappings? Down to the point that mathematically, He could determine exactly what sort of offspring they would produce? Couldn't He determine when certain mappings would reoccur down the line throughout time? Let's take it further? If science can say that they think they have discovered the pairing for say addiction, psychological disorders, hair color, etc, and still have pairings they don't know yet. Would God know that because He started with a specific mapping, what mappings were perfect for certain things? Is that how He can "know" us and still give us the freedom to decide? What if, once He started the mappings and put them into motion, He could know which of us would be predisposed to certain influences? Wouldn't He be able to know who would have what attributes by doing the math? Or simply reading DNA already embedded in each of us. Wouldn't He be able to find the perfect person that could conceive and bare a child, and give that child divine attributes, by reintroducing perfect DNA back into the equation at a specific point in time...?

In the end, it doesn't matter what the answer is to this, but isn't it fun to think.

She attempted to drown out the commotion with her iPod blasting. It seemed like no matter how loud she turned the volume up she could still hear their thoughts. The woman behind her with the crying child kept wondering if it was really worth it...if her marriage, the kids, the constant judgment from an inept mother-in-law was worth the twenty-two years of preparing for perfect. Then there was the man in the expensive suit, and his maniacally laugh and contempt for whomever it was he was speaking with on the phone.

She was glad to hear the purity in the three-year-old singing across to her left, but even more profound was what how the little girls mind envisioned the tune; there was beauty, peace, simplicity. She vaguely remembered what that was like. To be little, to be at peace, to be whole.

She would never feel that way again. Something was taken from her, something that, no matter how many people said would return to her, she would never have. She was angry now...though no one would see that side of her. Even in the midst of all the beckoning thoughts around her, she could maintain a smile.

She closed her eyes and let the music cleanse her. Through it, she could lose herself in lyrics that distracted her. She could return home to before the fighting and arguing with her parents, when they still loved each other and pretended it would all be ok. She knew there was no going back to that, trying to accept her father's death. But with the music she could relive every moment, every story he read her, every song he sang to her, every hair he had brushed from her face. Through the music, she could see his face, she could hear his voice and he was alive.

But just like their walks together, the song had come to the end, but still she sat there trying to listen to every last note as faded to silence.

My five-year-old daughter had her first field trip of the her school career today. She was so excited, she was up early and counted every second until the doorbell rang and the mother that gives her rides arrived. I assume it was fantastic trip because she came home and told us how much fun she had riding the bus. For a child, them mentioning the last thing they did is about all you get in the heat of the moment. They have to calm down a little before you can pry into the rest of their day, at least that's been the standard around my house.

As we all sat around dinner, discussing the activities of the day. My sweet little five-year-old interrupts the conversation with, "Daddy, I have a question."

Totally prepped with fatherly wisdom and confidence I responded, "Sure, sweetie, what is it?"

Looking right into my eyes with that innocent little face, she asked, "How old do you have to be to have a boyfriend?"

Instant panic filled the room along with my mouthful of Swedish Meatballs...my hesitation in answering wasn't only due to my sheer surprise, but, my desperate need for the Heimlich Maneuver. All I could do was stare at my wife, with eyes begging to be released from this awkward moment, as both of my two older girls sat eagerly waiting to see what I would say.

Then without a moment's hesitation, my wife says, "25, you have to be 25 to have a boyfriend."

Totally oblivious to the coronary I was having in the seat next to her, my beautiful, little five-year-old says, "Ok..."

I asked her, when I went to tuck her in, why she had asked such a question and she had indicated that she heard kids on the bus talking about having boyfriends and she didn't think they were old enough. She assured me that she would inform her entire class tomorrow that none of them were old enough to talk about things like that. I said that was a great idea and then I laid there next to her until she fell asleep...

So I am sick and can't sleep because I am coughing so much. It's my third night on the couch...which adds to the aches and pains. But trust me, it's better than I would feel if I was upstairs in bed and my coughing woke the baby. My wife hates when I am sick...she doesn't flat out say it but I can tell. I honestly don't know any spouse that likes it when their spouse is sick, except for the maybe the Gosselins. But I don't really know them.

I wish that I could just be sick. You know, sleep all day, eat soup, watch mindless TV. But that isn't the case anymore. This morning I woke up to the dog licking my face, as I am at eye level on the couch. Which was a good thing because, I had to email in sick before my morning meetings. I thought I was cleared for the day and I could go back to sleep but my wife reminded me that I needed to take the kids in for a dentist appointment. So, I spent the first couple hours of my morning listening to that horrid dental drill chip away at my sanity.

Of course, after the dental appointment I went home and thought I was going to get my chance to sleep.

***SIDEBAR: My dog just woke up and went to the door, when I opened it to the rain, she gave me a look like, "You got to be kidding!" Guess that would suck for a dog..but she's a trooper and walked out on her own.***

Back to the story, so I thought I would get a little work done as I was up and awake. I was able to work. Then I went to lay down for a while, until the kids got home. I no sooner went in my room before, I was informed that it was an early day for the kids and they would be home any minute...aren't they lucky.

I again tried to sneak away, offering to put my two-year-old down for a nap, but she decided she wanted me to read to her. And though I don't begrudge the reading at all, her head butting me while bouncing down to the pillow was a little more than my already throbbing head could take. I decided to head back to my desk to get some more work done.

I hate being sick...now here it is about 1:30 in the morning, I again can't sleep nor am I experiencing any of the wonderful effects you would expect with a Mucinex, Tylenol, CheraTussin and lemon herb tea with honey cocktail. But I got my work in and am wide awake...and where is everyone else sleeping. Oh, the irony! I am tempted to go in the other room, walk right up to my bulldog and lick her in the face...Ha! How's that feel!

Yeah, so tonight I gave into peer pressure and watched the TV show Glee. It was recommended by a couple people that said it was humorous and had great music. I had DVR'ed a few episodes but hadn't gotten around to watching it until tonight. The episode I watched opened with a young man and two girls dancing to Beyonce's Single Ladies, just for reference.

I have to say, the show is not for me. I will admit to sitting through the entire episode, actually in hopes that at some moment it would get better. It didn't. In forty-two minutes of television I witnessed a woman faking a pregnancy and getting advice from a friend that lying in a marriage was the only way to make it work. I watched a high school cheerleader tell her boyfriend she was pregnant with his baby, when in reality she had gotten drunk and given up her virtue to a friend from the football team. I listened to a woman ridicule and demean, homelessness. There were also several instances of glorified vindictiveness, blackmail and manipulation. All of this was couched in some popular music and dance moves as you can see in the top ten at iTunes.

My concern, is the popularity this show has among youth. I am not naive enough to think that kids don't go through a ton of garbage and run into awkward and trying circumstances at school, but creating a show that makes light of the decisions that they struggle with is not something I would consider a good idea.

Now, by no means am I a prude. I know what the world is like, believe me. What scares me and puts me off, is the presentation this show made of that material. They tried to make it funny and hide it in current pop-culture. If it was presented as obvious bad behavior, with some sort of moral at the end, maybe I wouldn't have felt so compelled to write this...but when my 14-year-old daughter comes home from school talking about it, having never seen it, I think I should be worried.

Anyway, I hope I don't offend anyone who is a fan of the show, but it has truly made me consider some of the other shows I watch too...I think I will have to consider other things with which I have been Gleefully Tempted.

So, I know that I am going to be contributing to the drama that is Brett Favre, but I have been dwelling on this since last night's game. Whose right is it to judge him? I mean, love him or hate him, I don't think anyone has a right to give him crap about not making up his mind about football. If it were any other profession, I don't think anyone else would give it a second thought.

The truth is the guy has a right to do what makes him happy. That is play football. Honestly, how many of us have walked away from something we loved and wondered if that was the right decision. I know that I would go back to playing football if I had any sort of a chance to do so. He probably thought it was time to try and do something else and then went stir crazy and wanted back in.

As far as loyalty, who cares, he doesn't owe his former fans or team anything. My mom always told me that true friends are those who want the best for you. If those supporting Brett only wanted liked him because he was on their team…then, well, that's conditional and who needs friends like that.

I think Brett Favre is just a guy trying to enjoy his slice of what life has to offer. He is someone who has a passion for something that I think many will never feel or have. If you don't like drama, ignore the media. If you like football, there is guy named Brett Favre that is sure fun to watch play!

Kudos, Mr. Favre, I hope you keep playing for as long as you are healthy and it makes you happy, no matter what team.