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Last Thursday night my wife and I took our 6 year old son to his first Cub Scout meeting. A recruiter had been to his school trying to garner interest in a local pack. I was once a Cub Scout, so I knew there was great potential for my son in this program. This was an introductory meeting to inform the parents about the program as well as let the kids have some fun. He had a great time, so we joined. I filled out an application to become an adult leader as well.

Where were they?

A disappointing reality emerged as the room filled with adults eager to learn about the program and kids eager to be kids; there was only one other father in the room. The room was filled with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade boys and their mothers. Call me old school, but I fully expected to see a room full of fathers with their sons.

We Need Both Parents

I believe that there are gender specific roles that are extremely important for overall child development. I’m not saying that the mothers should have been at home doing laundry while the fathers were teaching their sons to kill an animal bare handed. I am saying that there should have been a room full of fathers at this meeting. I’m sure that some of them had reasons why they couldn’t attend while others just had excuses.

This meeting was just a small example of a problem that is showing up all across this country. There are numerous problems in today’s society that are merely symptoms of the decay of the normal, involved family. ( Yes, I realize that I just labeled anything other than a family with a mother AND father as abnormal. If the dress fits…) When I say father I’m not necessarily talking about biological father. I have seen firsthand that  just because you can make a baby does not mean that you are fit to raise one. Fathers in America had better step up to the plate and start acting like fathers. If you don’t fill that leadership role for your kids someone or something else will.

Tags: America, Kids, Life Lessons, Parenting, Personal Notes by Eric Sanders
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I realize that my readers have come to expect posts on politics, crime and punishment, patriotism, and such. While I am very passionate about these topics, I never intended this blog to be solely dedicated to them. I started this so that I could publish my thoughts on any and all topics. To my fellow Americans who enjoy the patriotic articles, do not fear. I still bleed red, white, and blue. I am going to diversify my topics, however. If you look at some of my earliest articles you will find education, kids, and nostalgia among other topics.

For a while I also included some affiliate programs on Brainwavers. I have removed those as well. I also got caught up in rankings, popularity, SEO, blah, blah, blah. While I know these are important for business, I was putting more effort into PR than into writing. While I may be venturing into some internet business someday, Brainwavers is not it. This is not a job, and I am going to stop treating it like one.

Tags: Business, Deep Thinking, Inspiration, Life Lessons, Personal Notes by Eric Sanders
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Do you remember the feeling you had just weeks before your high school graduation?

What about getting ready to head out on you own? Away from your parents. Do you remember?

Maybe you have recently changed jobs and there was that strange “I won’t be walking down this hall”, or “I won’t use this coffee pot again” kind of feeling.

Buying your first home, or moving out of your first home into your second.

I’m not talking about any bad feelings. The feelings I’m talking about are ones of excitement; feelings that something that you have known is about to be replaced with something better. A new world is about to open up. A sense that there is something waiting that has barely been tapped.

If you don’t know what I’m talking about by now I don’t know any other way to describe it.

I had those feelings twice today. They weren’t accompanied by any visions or thoughts; just feelings. I know that all of you who have experienced this are sitting there nodding in agreement. All of you who think I’m losing it; I just ask that if you are ever fortunate enough to experience it you will recall reading an article by that crazy guy at Brainwavers and admit that he wasn’t so crazy after all.

Tags: Business, Deep Thinking, Inspiration, Life Lessons, Motivational, Personal Notes, Religion by Eric Sanders
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We just celebrated my daughter’s eighth birthday, and I never had any idea that eight years could pass so rapidly. I was just driving home thinking about some of the events of 2000 and how they seem to have just happened. Here’s a few of the happenings of the year 2000.

We somehow miraculously avoid a global meltdown brought on by Y2K.

The St. Louis Rams defeat the Tennessee Titans 23-16 in Superbowl XXXIV in Atlanta. I actually had to watch this one in the hospital because of my daughter’s birth.

Alaskan Airline flight 261 crashes off of the coast of California killing 88 people.

An IED explodes on Wall Street injuring several but killing none.

Vladimir Putin is elected as Russia’s president.

George W. Bush and Al Gore emerge as their parties’ nominees for president.

Microsoft is found guilty of violating antitrust laws.

Federal agents seize Elian Gonzalez from his family’s home in Miami, Fl.

Windows ME is released.

2000 Summer Olympics are held in Sydney, Australia.

The first of the Subway Series, NY Yankees vs. NY Mets world series, is held. The Yankees won the series.

Iraq rejects UN weapons inspections.

George W. Bush is elected President of the United States despite a serious outbreak of hanging chads in Florida. (I hope they have developed a cream for that by now.)

Charles M. Shulz dies.

Recounts or no recounts? That was the question.

I know it’s only going to go faster from here. All I can do is enjoy it.

Tags: Deep Thinking, Inspiration, Life Lessons, Motivational, Nostalgia, Personal Notes by Eric Sanders
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If you could go back through your life would you change anything? If you did would it matter anyway?

My View

I believe that each decision we make is the beginning of a new path. All of the decisions, large or small, that I have made throughout my life have brought me to where I am today. For example, I probably could have played football at a collegiate level, but my high school coach was a jerk, so I quit the team. I met my future wife when I was 19, so if I had played college ball somewhere we may not have met. I wouldn’t have the great family that I have today. I believe that it’s possible that my life could have turned out drastically different. This is one example of a multitude of paths that have led to the life I enjoy today.

My Wife’s View

My wife, on the other hand, believes that if we have an ultimate destiny then all paths must eventually lead to that destiny; although some paths may be longer than others. She believes that if we were meant to be together then we would have met somehow. For example, she believes that if I had played football then perhaps we would have met when I was home visiting. So, no matter what choices we make we would still end up in the same place.

So What’s The Answer?

It appears that both theories could be correct, which means that both could be incorrect. They seem to support each other and at the same time oppose each other. Is each choice a kind of mini-destiny that leads to an ulitmate destiny, or do all choices eventually lead to an ultimate destiny? Did a decision you made 10 years ago eventually lead you to this artilce? Would you have been exposed to this article one day anyway? Will you click on this link? If you don’t will you eventually run across the linked site someday without me? I know there’s no real way to prove or disprove either. It’s just something to think about.

Tags: Deep Thinking, Life Lessons, Religion by Eric Sanders
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Cinram, a DVD packaging company in Huntsville, Alabama, has started recruiting foreign workers who are willing to work 12 hour shifts for $8 per hour. They employ approximately 2500 workers with 1350 of them coming from Jamaica, Bolivia, Nepal, Ukraine, and the Dominican Republic.

Each year the U.S. Department of Labor issues 66,000 H-2B work visas. These are for unskilled, non-farm workers. Cinram is following the law, and the workers are here legally, but this doesn’t make me feel all warm and fuzzy by any means. There are obviously ways, as Cinram has shown us, to follow the law and still operate unethically. Madison County Commissioner Mo Brooks said that if this is the way Cinram wants to do business he would prefer they do it somewhere else.

I don’t blame any of the workers. They were presented with an opportunity to legally come to the greatest country on Earth; they were offered a good (relatively speaking) wage and an opportunity to better themselves and their families. They would be insane to reject an offer like that. My problem is with the company. When I say “company” I don’t want you to have a picture of some collective corporate structure. I want you to think about the individual, living, breathing people who have the opportunity to help local families, yet choose to go overseas to hire workers. I’ll bet these people would pimp out their own grandmothers to make a dime.

Tags: America, Business, Life Lessons, Politics by Eric Sanders
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Walter E. Williams is a must read syndicated columnist. His articles are right on, and that’s about the best way I know to describe them. I have a link to him in my sidebar, but his latest two articles are such homeruns with me that I had to put him in the spotlight. Here are the latest articles:
Congressional and Leftist Lies
Academic Cesspools II

I also urge you to visit his syndicated page to read more great articles, and check out his biography.

If your heart tends to bleed easily you might want to skip this and find some poetry to read.

Tags: America, Education, Life Lessons, Motivational, Politics by Eric Sanders
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Operation Christmas Child is a program that sends shoeboxes filled with gifts to children all over the world who might not otherwise receive anything. This program is through Samaritan’s Purse, a Franklin Graham organization. These people visit countries all over the world to deliver these gift boxes and to share God’s love. Each of my kids put together a box, and they loved it. They included a personal letter to the kid who receives their box with the hope that the child will have the resources to write back. They are excited about making a new friend in a part of the world that they may never be able to visit. We watched a video about Operation Christmas Child that taught us how fortunate we are to live in America. There were stories  and video from poor countries all over the world. One that really stuck with me was a man who searched for used shoes every day so that he could resell them to feed his family. I wake up every day and have to decide what I want to eat out of a well stocked refrigerator. This man’s only goal every day is to find enough food to carry his family for one more day. I encourage every person who reads this to check out the Samaritan’s Purse site and join in Operation Christmas Child. They have a “suggested gifts” list on the site. Also, be sure to check out the “do not include” list as well.

Tags: America, Christmas, Education, Inspiration, Kids, Life Lessons, Motivational, Religion by Eric Sanders
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Born: October 30, 1735 in Massachusetts
Died: July 4, 1826 at age 90 in Massachusetts
Party: Federalist
Occupation: Lawyer

John Adams, the son of a farmer, grew up in Braintree, Massachusetts. At age 16 he attended Harvard College and graduated four years later. After graduation, he taught school for a few years while he was deciding on a long term career. He finally decided to become a lawyer and began studying in the law office of James Putnam. At age 23 he was admitted to the bar. At age 29 he married Abigail Smith, and they had six children; one of which was John Quincy Adams who would become the sixth President of the United  States.

John Adams’ influence as a leader came from his work as a constitutional lawyer, his thorough knowledge of the law, and his dedication to republicanism.

One of the most famous cases that Adams was associated with was The Boston Massacre in 1770. John Adams defended the British soldiers who had killed five civilians. Six of the soldiers were acquitted, and the two who had fired into the crowd were convicted of manslaughter.

Adams was sent to represent Massachusetts in the first and second Continental Congress. In 1775 Adams nominated George Washington as commander-in-chief of the army. From the beginning of his service in Congress, Adams supported permanent separation from Britian.

John Adams wrote in Thoughts on Government “there is no good government but what is republican.” On June 7,1776, Adams seconded the resolution introduced by Richard Henry Lee that “these colonies are, and of a right ought to be, free and independant states.” He was then appointed to a committee with Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman to draft a Declaration of Independence.

John Adams served two terms as Vice President to George Washington. Adams played a minor role in politics and was never asked for input on policy or legal issues by President Washington.

Next, John Adams was elected to serve as the second President of the United States. He held the office from 1797-1801. As President, Adams followed George Washington’s examples of republican values and civic virtue. Adams was never implicated in any scandals. He ran for a second term but was defeated by Thomas Jefferson.

After his defeat, Adams returned to a private life of farming. Sixteen months before he died, his son, John Quincy Adams, became the sixth President of the United States. The only other son of a former President to hold that same office is George W. Bush.

On July 4, 1826, John Adams died at his home. A few hours earlier, on that same day, Thomas Jefferson had died as well. This day was the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

Tags: A New Nation Series, America, Inspiration, Life Lessons, Politics by Eric Sanders
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I am beginning a series on the early days of America. I will spotlight the men who stood strong in the face of a tyrant who called himself the king of Great Britain. Each article will be dedicated to a person, or event, of great significance to our country’s quest for freedom. These men didn’t visit the “hot spots” to kiss babies and shake hands. They sacrificed the security of the known to birth a great nation where generations to come could live free. They handed us the greatest nation on Earth, and we are systematically dismantling everything that they fought for. They didn’t jump on the “We’re Republicans so we vote like this; they’re Democrats so they vote like that” bandwagon. They were united in a battle for all of America, the Blue States and the Red States. My desire for this series is to reunite Americans as Americans. I want to help people re-focus on building “one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Tags: America, Education, Life Lessons, Politics, Religion by Eric Sanders
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