The difference between impossible and “nearly” impossible…

Is as big as any difference we encounter. All we need is ‘nearly’ and we have completely transformed the problem–changing it from one to avoid to one to commit to.

Here’s the hard part: having the ability to see (and to announce) the ‘nearly’ part.

Almost every breakthrough comes from someone who saw “nearly” when no one else did.

I hope this inspires you….

Losing a bet might get your name changed?

NZPoker-1024x576 This is a good one. Figured I’d share to make you laugh a little and to remind you that you should never make silly bets when drunk!

A Dunedin man has changed his name to the longest legally allowed, after apparently losing a bet five years ago.

 

The 22-year-old man from Normanby is now legally known as ‘Full Metal Havok More Sexy N Intelligent Than Spock And All The SuperheroesNewname Combined With Frostnova’ – just one character shy of Department of Internal Affairs’ (DIA) 100 character limit.

A message on an online body building forum, written by someone describing themselves as a friend of the man, said the name change was the result of a lost poker bet and the man realised his drunken consequences only when his passport expired.

DIA Births Deaths and Marriages spokesman Michael Mead said the change of name was registered in March 2010.

The name met the requirements of naming rules and the applicant paid the fee and completed the form correctly, he said.

Mr Frostnova could change his name again any time by completing the form correctly and paying the $127 fee, Mr Mead said. The process takes around eight days.

Under Birth Deaths and Marriages rules, new names must consist of one surname, and one or more other names, unless religious, philosophical beliefs or cultural traditions require the applicant to have only one name – in which case the applicant is required to provide a letter of explanation.

Names may not be accepted if they cause offence to a reasonable person, are unreasonably long, or without adequate justification include or resemble an official title or rank.

In 2008, Family Court Judge Rob Murfitt publicly criticised some parents’ choice of names, after he ordered that a girl named Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii be taken into court custody so she could change her name.

Names can also not include numbers or symbols.

Rejected names in recent years include Majesty, King, Knight, Princess, Justice, Anal, V8, 89, Mafia No Fear, Lucifer, full stop and *.

In 2007, a New Zealand couple tried to name their child 4Real Superman but were turned down because it contained a digit.

They settled instead for just Superman and continued to call the child 4Real unofficially.

Credit to New Zealand Herald – Click here – to see article.  

Superbowl Fun Facts…

1Big money
Just how much money can a Super Bowl bring to an area? Try $150 million! That includes all the money spent by fans, sponsors, media and other visitors in the Indianapolis area last year. Cha-ching!

2

Are you ready for some … food?
Make sure you pick up some extra bleu cheese dressing to dip the 1.23 billion chicken wings fans will be eating on Sunday. That actually adds up to more than 100 million pounds of chicken wings.

3

Hey buddy, can you spare a job?
In the past 20 years, 17 Super Bowls have been won by the team that hails from the city with the lower unemployment rate.

 

Healthy lifestyle?4  Vegetables at a Super Bowl party? That’s right! In fact, the healthy treat is the top food eaten in homes during Super Bowl. Of course, we all know they taste better when someone brings some dip.

5

Stay home
When it comes to watching the Super Bowl, nine out of 10 watchers are going to be at a home — either their house or someone else’s. That’s a lot of Super Bowl parties.

6

Make it delivery Some people have to work on Super Bowl Sunday, including the Domino’s Pizza delivery guys. The company estimates that it will deliver 11 million pieces of pizza to hungry viewers.

7Worth the gamble?
Betting on the Super Bowl? You bet! Nearly one-third of U.S. adults are likely to bet on the big game with men outnumbering women who decide to put some cash on the line. But be warned: 92% of those surveyed said they’ve actually lost money gambling on the Super Bowl in the past.

8 I dip, you dip, we dip
Dips are a favorite among Super Bowl snackers with 32% saying they plan on eating some form of the snack. Whether it’s spinich dip for veggies or cheese dip for chips, it’s not a true Super Bowl without the dip.

9

Where to go?
What would you give up to actually go to the Super Bowl? A vacation would be skipped by 23 percent of those surveyed, followed by an important work responsibility (21%), the wedding of a close friend or family member (20%), the funeral of a loved one (19%) and the birth of a child (15%).

10Chomping on chips It takes lots of spuds to make the 11.2 million pounds of potato chips that fans will be munching on in front of the television during the big game. But all those chips come with a price. Those many bags of chips will account for 27 billion calories and 1.8 billion grams of fat. Those grams of fat all up, too — it’s equal to four million pounds of fat nationally. Maybe the veggies aren’t a bad idea.

11

Holy guacamole
What goes well with chips? Guacamole! That would explain the 8 million pounds of avocados football fans will be mashing up to dip their chips in.

 

12

It’s a dog’s life
Hot diggity dog! That’s what fans said in 2009 when 55,200 hot dogs were served at the stadium in Tampa Bay when it hosted Super Bowl XLIII. But there’s no word on which condiments fans preferred.

13

Take out
It’s not just the pizza delivery guys who will be ringing doorbells. It turns out that roughly 48 million Americans will order takeout or delivery food from a restaurant instead of cooking up grub at home.

14

Turn on the TV
You won’t be alone if you’re watching the Super Bowl on TV. Of the 10 most-watched programs in U.S. television history, nine of them are Super Bowls. In fact, last year’s Super Bowl tops the list with a whopping 111.3 million viewers. The rematch of the Giants and Patriots claimed the top spot from the previous year’s Super Bowl between the Packers and Steelers that brought in 111 million.

15Keep it poppin’
It’s going to take a big microwave to pop up the 3.8 million pounds of popcorn fans will be munching on. Let’s hope your house doesn’t smell like burnt popcorn the next day.

17

Snack attack
Unfortunately, all those snacks add up. The average fan will consume 1200 calories and 50 grams of fat from snacks. And yes, that’s just snacks and not meals on the big day.

18

Beer sales
All that food needs to be washed down with something. Will you be picking up one of the 51.7 million cases of beer sold to quench Super Bowl fans?

 

 

19

Not your normal fare
Some fans will be including some not-so-normal football fare for their Super Bowl spread, including apple slices, macaroni and cheese, and Chinese food on the list of what they’re serving.

20

Pretzels
The salty Super Bowl treat will be served up in enough homes and bars to equal 4.3 million pounds consumed by fans.

 

21

Grilling time
Get your jacket and scarf ready because Super Bowl Sunday is the most popular grilling day of winter with 62% of owners firing up the grill — even if it means they have to shovel a path to get to it.

22

It’s getting nutty
Football fans are nuts for nuts. Whether it’s peanuts, cashews, pistachios or any other nuts, 2.5 million pounds of the salty snack will make its way to our snack tables.

23

Tortilla Chips
It’s not just potatoes that get the chip love. Tortilla chips also get some respect at the Super Bowl snack table with 8.2 million pounds of them consumed by fans.

24

Gluttony
No matter how much we eat, it’s going to be quite a feast. In fact, the Super Bowl is the second highest day of food consumption in the United States after Thanksgiving.

25

A day later
Don’t worry if you feel a little sick after your gluttonous partying. Antacids sales are expected to increase 20% on the day after Super Bowl. So at least you can commiserate with others.

The Santa Myth

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We should never lie to our kids, lying to our kids is a bad thing. But for many children (including mine), believing in Santa is a normal and a healthy part of growing up.

The notion of a man who flies around the world in a sled drawn by flying reindeer,  entering our homes through our chimneys and delivering presents, all within the span of a single night, is highly improbable, to say the least. Yet the Santa Myth is a long-standing and powerful tradition for many families, and does indeed reinforce good values.

I don’t think it’s a bad thing for kids to believe in the myth of someone trying to make people happy if they’re behaving. Imagination is  normal and helps develop creative minds in my opinion.

The Santa myth is grounded in truth — after all, St. Nicholas is a real person. He became famous for giving gifts and money to the poor, and it’s those values that are important to continue teaching our children.  It’s a real story, it’s a real value and it’s something that inspires our children and us. That’s the spirit of Christmas…

Santa Claus is just one mythical figure many kids believe in, along with the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny and others. Our kids use their imaginations all the time, even if they know the characters they are creating are not real. When kids play cops and robbers, they know they aren’t really cops or robbers.

Christmas brings families together, and the Santa myth reinforces these bonds. Christmas also reinforces some positive habits, like writing letters to Santa. Lots of kids don’t like to write, but they’ll make the effort to write these letters won’t they?

But like many good things, the Santa story eventually comes to an end. Kids stop believing in Santa at different ages. Usually, a friend at school will break the news. I still hold on as long as I could with my daughter, even though I know that she is beginning to question it now. The Elf on the shelf has helped a bit, but even that will not last much longer.

She will soon try to figure it out for herself too, when she starts to notice that the story doesn’t quite add up. For example, she might stay up late trying to catch Santa delivering presents.

When children ask us whether Santa is real or not, we need to decide whether our child is ready to know the truth. I plan on telling my daughter the truth one day, but will always maintain that the spirit of Christmas is very real. I will tell her the story of St. Nicholas and how he delivered presents on his white horse to children in need.

Santa may be a Christmas tradition. But, the spirit of giving to the poor, and the spirit of family and being together — that is universal.

In Memory of Tia Angelita

One of my favorite pictures of my Aunt...
One of my favorite pictures of my Aunt…

In order to begin this story I must go back in time 50 years to the day I was born, August 9th, 1963. My mother and father lived in a small town outside of Buenos Aires in Argentina called Merlo. They lived in a relatively small house. I guess in Argentina in those days it was fairly common for someone from that town to be born in their home with the assistance of a midwife. I was no exception. I’ve been told stories that my mother was so large during her last months of pregnancy with me that people thought she may had been carrying twins.

My Mom went into labor that day and the midwife was called or brought to the house (in those days my parents didn’t have a phone). My aunt Angela was to be with my Mother for support so she also arrived at the house as well. When the midwife examined my mother she asked my Dad to go get the town doctor as she thought that my mother may have complications with the birth. So my Dad went off on his bicycle to get him while my mother remained in labor.

Well I didn’t wait for the town doctor to arrive, I decided to come out. I was born 14 pounds natural birth and my poor mother obviously needed tending. When the midwife took me out of the womb she handed me to my aunt Angela. The midwife then proceeded to tend to my mother. Meanwhile my aunt was welcoming me into this world. She bathed me, clothed me and prepared me to see my parents.

My Dad eventually returned with the doctor and saw me for the first time. I’m sure at that point the attention was all focused on my mother though, who was pale with loss of blood and not conscience. Blood transfusions were necessary from my Dad to keep her alive. She finally recovered a few days later to see me and her family. But it wasn’t without a scare. I’m sure my aunt helped tend to me while my mother recovered.

My birthday became a moment in time that would eventually foster the relationship I’ve had with my aunt since. I can only imagine the meaning of that day to her, but I assume it was special. She was 24 years old then and she had just begun her life with my uncle Benedicto (Benny). Less than a year later they immigrated to New York and my parents and I followed soon after.  As I grew up both Angela and Benny played active roles in my life. I’ve always admired their relationship and the life they led. Role models to all of my cousins and I. They eventually moved out of New York in the early seventies and settled in Miami. We all kept in touch and frequently saw them during holidays or vacations. My family and I made several trips to visits to see them through my adolescent years.  My first trip to visit them without my parents in Miami was in 1980, I was 17. I went with two of my best friends from high school at the time. Three teenagers visiting the sunshine state on our own.  I remember that Angela would drive us to all the tourist attractions  each day and let us just hand out. Eventually she would pick us back up and take us home for a great dinner. They treated us like adults and we loved to be around them. Between her and uncle Benny, they took great care of us and offered awesome hospitality. I clearly remember my friends telling me how cool my aunt and uncle were, which of course always makes you feel good.  Through the years that followed, I visited Florida many times and always had a special connection and love for my Aunt and Uncle. They were indeed dear to me and continue to be.  My aunt was always soft-spoken, tender and full of joy. I don’t ever remember my aunt being mad.

Last year my Aunt Angelita was diagnosed with stage 4 Lymphoma. Aunt Angela would then begin a long struggle with cancer that she fought valiantly.  She remained positive through her treatments and  tried to battle it with all her will. In mid July 2013 the cancer had spread and she eventually passed away on August 5th, 2013. She was 74 years old.

I was traveling on business that morning and had just arrived in Toronto when my Dad left me a voicemail that my aunt had died.  I was devastated and struck with sadness that I had lost a person in my life that meant so much to me.. Later my Dad informed me that the funeral would be held on August 9th. Without hesitation I booked my flight to Miami.  I believe that everything happens for a reason and this is no exception.

My 50th Birthday now has a significance that will live with me forever. There is something very profound in being welcomed into this world by my aunt and then 50 years later to the day here I am saying goodbye to her as she leaves this world. Celebrating my birthday and celebrating my aunts life. My uncle Benny calls it  “Synchronicity”. I believe that it is entirely possible to have a connection to someone that transcends understanding. My aunt and I somehow have that connection. I can imagine on the day I die that she may be the first person to welcome me into that next world all over again.  As I write this I weep in sadness for the loss of my aunt but I take solace in knowing that she is no longer suffering and is finally at peace. I look forward to seeing her again one day.

Tia Angelita,
Thank you for being a wonderful person and for being there for me during moments in my life that mattered. Thank you for teaching me to love and respect. Thank you for being a role model to me that eventually helped me to become the person I am today. I will always cherish the moments we spent together in this world. I pray that you are now healthy, strong and smiling again and at peace with God.

I will always love you.
Hugo

This was my first solo trip to visit my Aunt, Uncle and Cousin.
This was my first solo trip to visit my Aunt, Uncle and Cousin. SCAN0004

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Does Safety Trump Privacy?

verizon

The NSA has your phone records!

The Guardian published an article (click here) revealing that the NSA has been spying on Verizon wireless customers phone records. There’s a “Top Secret” court order from the FISC (Federal Intelligence surveillance Court) that was issued in April that required Verizon Wireless to hand-over phone records to the NSA, meaning the location of the phone, the time of the call, the duration of the call and other “Identifying Information” for the phone and the call.

The Obama administration has defended the NSA’s actions, but even the author of the Patriot Act says that they have overstepped their rights. Al Gore has come forward and condemned the Obama administration for supporting the actions of the NSA.

gore

Does our safety trump privacy? This allows the government to have the right to our communication records regardless of whether we are suspected of any wrongdoing. I have always been a believer that if someone wanted to find information on you, they would and will. But I used to believe that to be true of hackers and identity thieves, not our government. Although some would argue that the government is filled with thieves. So should we really be concerned about this issue? or is it better to give the government free rein on all our privacy being that they can obtain it anyway at anytime they want it?

Moral of the story is that if you have nothing to hide this is probably no big deal to you, but if you want to hide these days you’re probably shit out of luck!

 

Jerk of the Day!

I read this article today and I must say that this is a clear example of how educated people can still be fucking idiots. How did this guy get a job title of high importance is beyond my comprehension. There is really nothing else I can say about it. Kaya has since complained that his remarks were taken out of context by reporters. That may be somewhat true (maybe), but I don’t think so. I think he is easily the “Jerk of the Day” in my book (or BLOG).

I have a few friends that have autistic children and this made me think about them today and how offensive this all may sound. The guy is an idiot!!

Here is the article:

Fehmi-Kaya-600x300

According to Fehmi Kaya, head of the Health and Education Associations for Autistic Children in Turkey, autistic children lack the part of the brain that instills faith.

Faith in God is what Fehmi Kaya is referring to, of course, since faith in humanity, your friends, family and parents doesn’t really count as “faith”. The Turkish head of the  Health and Education Associations for Autistic Children stated:

“Autistic children do not know believing in God because they do not have a section of faith in their brains. That is why they don’t know how to pray, how to believe in God. It is needed to create awareness in these children through methods of therapy.”

Kaya then added that autistic children should undergo treatment to create the areas of faith that their brain lacks. The infallible idea comes from research that links atheism and autistic children. Kaya even claimed that researchers in the US and Canada say that atheism is a different form of autism.

 

Dedicated to Boston…

boston

“It’s sad that our children will never feel the safety we felt when we were kids” – Tom Brokow

This quote resonated in my mind last night when I was watching the news about the tragedy in Boston. It’s such a simple but true statement. We can’t take our children to a sporting event, a parade, a show, or any public event without having fear of something tragic happening. It’s so sad that we live in one of the most powerful countries in the world and yet we are powerless to the evil around us.

Those of you that know me have heard me joke around about wanting to move back to Sydney, Australia where my family and I had the opportunity to live for 2 years. I seriously would move back there in a heartbeat if the opportunity arose. Not so much for me, but for my family. I am not saying that Sydney has no faults or is free of terror, but life there reminded me more of what it was like here when I was a kid. The safety I felt as a kid still resonates there and life is calmer and you get the sense of peace. It’s possible that the reason for this may be the fact that Australia’s total population is equal to the population of the state of Florida and terrorists have no interest in doing small damage to non-westerners. Nonetheless, peace and safety are still present there, not to mention the fact that it’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen.

I’m still a New Yorker at heart and always will be. I am resilient and I don’t want to give in to the evil terrorists and crazy people who perform these senseless crimes. I stand besides Boston today and feel their pain, pray for their victims and hope for recovery. Yesterday was a harsh reminder of 911 for me as well as many other NYers.

I believe that there is only so much our government and law enforcement can do to restore order. I believe that they do everything within their means to protect us. But I strongly believe that the problem we have in the world is the way we educate and bring up our children. The only way to restore peace is to teach our children to breakdown barriers between nations and religions. Teach them to love by demonstrating love to them each and every day. This must be a world effort and it most likely is a pipe dream but I do continue to have hope that one day the world can achieve that feat.

Lastly, one thing that I notice when tragedy occurs is the how quickly the world responds to help. Everyone forgets about the barriers between nations, the color of your skin, and the religion you follow. People rise and help each other and turn into heroes. Even weeks and months later, you’ll still see people displaying loving acts as simple as giving up a parking space for someone, or lending a helping hand to someone in need. If we could only harness that power and perform these acts everyday we would make this world a better place in an instant. So thank you to all the folks that acted yesterday to help the victims of Boston. I hope that you continue to be heroes every day.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” – Martin Luther King

My thoughts and prayers are with all of the families…

 

RIP Bubba…you will be missed!

This is Bubba about 2 weeks ago!
This is Bubba about 2 weeks ago!

Today is a sad day for the Estigarribia household. Abby lost her pet Betta fish Bubba today. He was over 4 years old (taking into account that when we got him he was almost a year old). Which in Betta fish land is a pretty good lifespan for a fish that is in a 1 gallon bowl with no filtration system.

Bubba came to our family as a Hanukkah gift to Abby in December 2009. I think that Abby has learned quite a lot from this fish. Some of the experiences that I can remember talking to her about with regards to Bubba included mostly questions about life itself. Early on she questioned why Bubba lived alone in his tank and didn’t have friends. We had to explain to her that Betta fish are not fish that really enjoy each other’s company. She also questioned life itself. She asked us how long Bubba would live. We wanted to ensure we prepared her for the inevitable so we explained that the lifespan of a Betta fish is usually not more than 2-3 years. This prompting her to associate death with people and herself too. Which is not an easy subject to discuss with a 4 or 5-year-old, but it is part of life. I’m sure at the time she was a bit confused but over time she’s obviously getting a full understanding of the concept of death. She was sad about the fact that eventually Bubba would possibly die. But understood it.

As the years past we taught her the importance of keeping Bubba fed, his tank clean, and how he was her pet. Abby being very loving in nature accepted this responsibility and always kept on top of things. Over the last few months Ilyssa and I suspected that Bubba was getting old and would not make it through the summer. You could see that he was slowing down. So we started to talk to Abby about it and started to prepare her for what happened today.

Despite all the preparations, it was quite sad this morning when she discovered that Bubba was not moving. Tears rolled down her eyes as she came to me with the news. We held her and consoled her for a few moments and I promised her that when she got home from school later today that we would have a proper burial for him in our backyard. I’ll probably be tasked with doing the eulogy….what do you say about a fish? “Bubba was a good fish, he swam. He swam like no other fish…” Ok, that’s a good start!

I am sure that after a week or so we will go to the pet store to get another Betta fish for her. This is another thing we’ve told her throughout the years. A new friend will come into her room to keep her company for another 4-5  or longer years. Life will go on…but Bubba will always be remembered in our hearts.

Rest in Peace Bubba! 12/09 – 4/13.

 

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