Probstisms

  • WeightWatchers Update: January 5, 2009

    As expected, I gained a few pounds while enjoying the company of family and friends over the holidays. I weighed in at 182 pounds this morning so I have some work to do to get back to where I was two weeks ago. Time to track my Points.

    Next update: January 12, 2009

    WeightWatchers Update 01/05/2009

  • My Wife Rocks!

    My wife, Donnell, has been an incredible advocate for our daughter who has a medical diagnosis of PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified). As I’m sure you can imagine, our daughter’s diagnosis translates into significant social, behavioral, and educational issues at school and at home.

    Donnell has taken the lead with our daughter’s therapy and doctors’ appointments and also works with our daughter’s school to make sure she is receiving all of the services she needs to have a successful education. Donnell takes classes from the Special School District here in Saint Louis and has also become involved with the Parent Advisory Council.

    On top of all of that, I am very excited to report that Donnell has been accepted into the Partners in Policymaking program. The program provides leadership training designed for adults with developmental disabilities and parents of young children with developmental disabilities. I cannot put into words how proud I am of her. I know she will do an incredible job in the program and will become an even stronger advocate for our daughter and other children with special needs. I am a very lucky man to be married to such an incredible woman.

    Please join me in congratulating Donnell on this extraordinary opportunity.


  • I’m Using WeightWatchers Again

    Thanks to helping my wife, Donnell, eat through two pregnancies and an overall lack of control over my taste buds, I am back on WeightWatchers. Donnell and I used WeightWatchers before our wedding, and it worked incredibly well. It turns out if you actually pay attention to what you eat, you can lose weight. Crazy concept, huh?

    Well, we’re back at it again. Donnell worked her butt off in 2008 and earned a cruise for two from lia sophia. We’re very excited about getting a week to ourselves and are very motivated to lose a few pounds.

    To share in the fun, I have decided to update all of you every week on my progress. I have been at this for several weeks already so here is a little history. My first official weigh in was on November 7th at 190 pounds. I actually started watching what I was eating a week before that, and I weighted 193 pounds so I tend to think of that as my starting weight. My progress for the subsequent weeks was as follows:

    • 11/17/2008 – 185 lbs
    • 11/24/2008 – 183 lbs
    • 12/01/2008 – 186 lbs
    • 12/08/2008 – 181 lbs
    • 12/15/2008 – 179 lbs
    • 12/22/2008 – 178 lbs

    I have to admit that I am very scared to look at the scale on Monday. We have been traveling since last Friday, and we pretty much went crazy with food. With the holidays and family and food like Portillo’s, how can anyone possibly not partake? Anyway, we’ll see where I’m at on Monday, and I’ll provide an update. My guess is that I gained several pounds, but I’ll wait until Monday to weigh in.

    If you have any good WeightWatchers stories or opinions, please feel free to leave a comment. It should be interesting to see how things go by the end of March. Stay tuned.


  • The Hiatus Is Over

    Well hello everyone. I know it’s been quite a while since I posted anything new here. Once the election was over, I needed break. I would like to thank everyone who participated in the Probstisms Election Night Conversation. We had a lot of fun, and it made election night that much more special.

    I have been trying to figure out what I was going to say about the election of Barack Obama, but words cannot convey how excited I am that the American people chose such a capable leader to direct us out of the funk President Bush will leave behind. The electorate decided to ignore the fear mongering that has unfortunately become so ingrained in our political campaigns and backed Obama and Biden and their vision of hope and change.

    The road ahead will not be easy. For all of those parents out there that have been watching Wall-E on DVD over and over again, the mess Obama and his team are inheriting is just as enormous as the futuristic Earth portrayed in the movie. I have been very impressed with the team that Obama has put together so far, and I have great confidence that over time, Obama and his team will put us on a course that will lead us to prosperity once again.

    You can expect more posting from me in 2009. I will do my best to diversify my topics a bit more this coming year because I know I focused a lot on politics in 2008. Expect me to get back to writing about technology again, and hopefully, the Cubbies will give me something good to write about this summer.

    I would like to thank everyone who read my blog in 2008 and hope you stick with me through yet another year.

    Happy New Year!

  • Happy Election Day!

    Good morning everyone, and Happy Election Day!

    Now, get out and vote!

    Obama/Biden 2008

  • Republicans Take The Subterranean Road

    As is said, there’s the high road, and then there’s the low road, but now we’re seeing the subterranean road. I honestly thought it could not get lower, but the Republicans have unleashed one of the most negative, fear-mongering, hate-filled, deceptive television ads I have ever seen. Apparently, John McCain decided it was time to play the Wright card. Being in Missouri, I am lucky enough to have to experience the ad over and over again. Thanks to some nice Photoshop work, they took Obama’s usual signage and replaced “Change” with “Hate.” The voice-over spews fear and hate. The intention of the ad is clear; smear Obama and hope it sticks. I haven’t thrown anything through my television . . . yet.

    What really bothers me is that these types of ads still work with people. Case in point – our neighbor came over the other day and spoke to my wife for a bit. After seeing our Obama/Biden sign, she says “Barack Obama is the Antichrist” while performing the sign of the cross. Then she says “He’s been groomed.” What in the world does that even mean? How in the world do you respond to such stupidity? These are the types of people that most likely elected Bush twice. These are the types of people that will help McCain win on Tuesday if he wins. I just don’t get it.

    I am writing about this to let all of you know what the McCain campaign is doing in the battleground states. He’s not offering ideas. He’s not providing solutions. He’s spreading fear and hate in the hopes that enough people like my neighbor will take the bait. I want all of you to ask yourself what kind of leader you want for our country. Do you want someone who offers solutions, ideas, hope, and change, or do you want someone who uses fear and hate to win at all costs? It is time for a new politics. It is time for a new direction. It is time for Obama and Biden to lead our country.

    Obama/Biden 2008

  • Learn, Then Vote

    I am asking all registered voters out there to please turn off the television, turn off the talk radio, turn off the opinion websites, and go to Barack Obama’s and John McCain’s websites and learn about each candidate’s positions that they have put in writing. These are the positions that you need to know, and because the candidates put them in writing, they hold much more weight than something said on the campaign stump to pander to voters. Learn as much as you can so you can make an informed decision on Tuesday in what is likely to be the most important election of this century.

    Then on Tuesday, get to the polls and vote. If there is a ten hour line, stand there for ten hours. If there is ten feet of snow on the ground, bring a shovel. If there is a flood, bring a boat. Whatever it takes, get to the polls and vote for the candidate you think has the best skills to lead our country.

    Learn, then vote!

    Obama/Biden 2008

  • John McCain’s Meet The Press Interview

    I just finished watching John McCain on Meet the Press, and I have a few observations. First off, much like his appearances in the debates, he looked like a very angry and grumpy old man. Considering that he received so much criticism for the exact same thing after the debates, you would think he would present himself in a different way. What this tells me is that this is his true demeanor and personality. I don’t know about you, but I certainly do not want someone in charge of my country who acts like that, especially not now.

    Another observation was that he was once again repeating lies and misinformation about Obama’s policies. Let me clarify right now. Obama did not change the threshold for tax increases from $250K to $200K. Here’s the tax plan. I’m not sure where McCain came up with that whopper, but it is not honorable, fair, or respectable to repeat lies and misinformation over and over again on the trail or in interviews. Mr. McCain, are you listening? You have not run an honorable, fair, or respectable campaign. I honestly believe you meant what you said early on in the campaign that you would do just that, but you let the same thugs that ruined your chances for election in 2000 run your campaign, and they have turned you in to something that you historically despised. It really is a shame, sir.

    A final observation came from the end of the interview, and I am almost hesitant to mention it. McCain had another “senior moment” when he could not remember the names of the former Secretaries of State that are endorsing him. I’ve had those moments before, and I’ve seen many politicians forget things here and there, but in McCain’s case, it has been something that has happened enough to make me concerned that it may have something to do with his age. Let’s all be honest with ourselves. The Presidency is very likely the most stressful job on the planet. Just looking at President Clinton and President Bush, you can see how quickly relatively young men age due to the job. McCain is already 72 years old. What will this job do to someone that age? None of us know. That has to be a major concern for the electorate especially because Sarah Palin is nowhere near an acceptable choice to replace him if something were to happen.

    I’m not sure what McCain intended to do with this interview, but I suspect he did not do himself any favors with the undecided voters out there. I also suspect that the performance solidified support for Obama around the country. We’re in the home stretch, and we have to keep up the pressure on McCain and the rest of the Republicans. This is shaping up to be a great year for Democrats and our country. We all need to see it through.

    Obama/Biden 2008

  • Colin Powell Is Voting for Obama

    I was on the edge of my seat this morning watching Meet The Press waiting for Colin Powell to make his endorsement. I was struck by the thoughtfulness with which he made his case for voting for Barack Obama. His story about the Muslim United States soldier who gave his life in Iraq was especially inspiring. Powell is right, and this is something I have thought since the Clinton campaign was trying to paint Barack as a Muslim during the primaries. Who cares if someone is Muslim or Christian or Jewish or Atheist? I don’t and won’t hold it against them. This is something that needs to be said over and over again to the politicians and citizens who have made it a bad thing to follow any religion other than their own. Wasn’t our country founded to prevent religious prosecution? It seems some people, both Republicans and Democrats, have forgotten that vital pillar of our way of life as we know it. Let’s all follow Powell’s lead and call out politicians and citizens who preach hate and discrimination.

    Obama/Biden 2008

  • A Heightened Reality

    Sarah Palin was on SNL last night, and her skits were pretty funny, and she was a good sport. The great thing about SNL is that the cast and writers are able to say what they really think under the disguise of comedy. I think Alec Baldwin really meant what he said in the intro skit, and the rap during Weekend Update was also a roasting of McCain/Palin with Palin sitting right there at the desk. As Lorne Michaels said in the intro skit, SNL presents “a heightened reality.”

    A heightened reality indeed.

    Obama/Biden 2008