Cara's getting her band ready for UIL

This is the Artie Henry Middle School Concert Band I Pre-UIL performance. I think they've done an excellent job preparing for UIL. Send Cara luck!

Check out my close encounter with Barack Obama

At the end of the video, you'll see that he walked right up to me. I didn't get to shake his hand because I was making this video of the moment.

Help my buddy Matt raise money for Big Brothers and Big Sisters

I recently received the following email from my buddy, Matt. I would like to help him meet his goal and beyond, so if you have a couple of bucks or more to donate to The Big Brothers and Big Sisters Foundation, please help. Click on the picture to go to his donation page.
Cheers!

I have volunteered for my company's 2007 Bowl for Kids team and I sure could use your help. I'm part of a 5 person team and we're each hoping to raise at least $125 by THIS SATURDAY NIGHT February 24. We bowl on a night when other architectural, engineering, and design firms bowl. Ultimately, we compete against STG, GS&C, Bury, and many others.

TBG Partners bowled last year and had a great time raising money for the local Big Brothers Big Sisters chapter. Although we weren't the top fundraisers, it was still good to know that we could help out a great cause. This year we've set our goal to be the largest supporter of Big Brothers Big Sisters in our division.

I'd appreciate any financial gift you'd be willing to provide me with. No amount is too small, everything helps! Please visit my personal donation page and help me reach or exceed my goal.

Thanks for helping!

Guess Who's Coming to Austin?

I'm sure that I'll be producing a video for this event so I'll post it as soon as it is done.

Currently Reading - State of Denial

So, I finished reading "From Baghdad with Love" in a very short time. It was a really nice story about a soldier's endeavors to bring a stray dog from Iraq to the US. It was definitely an uplifting story so I won't ruin it by revealing the details. I enjoyed it for the story about the dog, Lava, and because it gives some insight into the inner workings of the military in Iraq. It's a quick read so you should read it yourself.

I'm already halfway through "State of Denial" and I must say that it is one of the most engrossing books that I have ever read. Composed by Bob Woodward, the Washington Post journalist famous for his stories about the Nixon Watergate scandal in the 70's, this book is very well written with incredible details about the Bush Administration's build up and execution of the War in Iraq. I have a difficult time putting the book down once I start to read it. I am amazed at the level of access to conversations and relationships between the pentagon and the white house that he has. I am stunned by the frankness with which Woodward reveals the failings of the administration, in both decision-making and communication. If you read a single book about the war in Iraq, you must read this one. I'll write more about this book in the future.

I'm also really excited that Woodward and Bernstein, the other Watergate journalist, will both be coming to the University of Texas at Austin on March 23, 2007. Like Norman Mailer's visit, I hope to see their lecture and get an autograph.

Recently completed:
From Baghdad with Love
by Lt. Col. Jay Kopelman with Melinda Roth
1984
by Eric Blair (George Orwell)
The Naked and the Dead
by Norman Mailer
My War: Killing Time in Iraq
by Colby Buzzell
No God but God: The Origins, Evolution and Future of Islam
by Reza Azlan
Night Draws Near: Iraq's People in the Shadow of America's War
by Anthony Shadid
The Places in Between
by Rory Stewart

Click the picture

Because baby pictures always make you feel better...

This is a picture of Lainey Roth, daughter of Adam and Suzy Roth. Isn't she gorgeous?!

I just had to post a couple of these...

To see more smackdown on Carolina, click here.

2005-2006 Artie Henry Middle School Cadet Band

I made this video last summer for Cara's band. It was her first year at Henry Middle School and I thought it would be a good keepsake. I'm posting it now, because I don't think that I've posted it on my blog, yet. I just recently moved it from Google Videos to YouTube.