Pinkwashing

by Justin

I must start by saying this: Breast cancer is a terrible, horrible, no good thing.  Like many of our cancers, it devastates lives and families.  We can and should find a cure.

I must also say that the 'pinkwashing' of October makes me want to puke.  I am sick of everything and the world that stands still and can be sold being in that perfect shade of pink.  In Lubbock, Texas this month you could have attended a "Pink Out" - Texas Tech Volleyball Game, the Komen Race, or the "We Think Pink in Lubbock" event, among others. 

Like everywhere else you can buy pink guns, pink pins, pink purses, pink...pink..pink.  All with a 'portion of the proceeds' going toward the cure.  On facebook I have no less than six friends raising vast amounts of cash for their Komen walks.  Walking is great.  Walking is rewarding.  Walking can accomplish great things and fund great research. 

The Komen for the Cure foundation spent 80.5% of their budget on program expenses last year.  That is actually fairly respectable.  Their revenue was some 312 million dollars.  I am just left wondering if their popularization of pink caused a marketing boom, with little real ramification on donations.

I am aware that not all 'pink events' go to fund Komen.  But by far they are the marketing geniuses behind this crazy.  And frankly, I wish that I didn't have to stare at pink everywhere I turned for an entire month.

Roadside Memorial

By Justin

Please, please do me a favor.  If by some stroke of fate I end up dieing in a tragic roadside accident, please don't erect a memorial in my honor.  I figure I have annoyed enough people in my life than to keep on annoying the guys who have to mow around my memorial long after I depart from earth.

This random thought brought to you by 23 hours alone in a car back and forth between El Paso and Lubbock, twice...

Life on the Road

By Justin

Well I am going on the road for work.  It has been a while, and never with two kids at home.  I am headed to El Paso to lend a hand to my coworkers.  I will be gone for two weeks followed by a week at a conference.  Starting Monday I will spend two nights in my bed in eighteen days.  It will be a challenging time for our family, mostly for Holly.  I will be home on labor day weekend, but we are in Friona for the holiday.  The following weekend I get home on Friday and leave Saturday morning for the conference.  Bad timing all around, but necessary.

I have been surprised at the overall lack of response on the previous posts.  The original post is the number one visited post on our blog in the last year.  More interesting than that is the follow up post.  I can see 'referring site' stats and the site that is the number one referrer is quite interesting.  I won't put that out here for everyone to see, cause it really doesn't matter, but it definitely amuses me that I know people are reading, but not commenting.  Maybe I am underestimating how much people care.

Maybe people just want to see pictures of the kids.  Guess I can make that happen and really leave my ranting to my friends.  They love it...no really they do...wait do I have friends..

hmmmmm  Guess i will give you what you really want.

We’ve Got It Wrong – Part Two

By Justin

If you are just joining me, you should go back and read We’ve Got It Wrong.  It really lays out the foundation of how this has developed.  The second part of my opinion is how the conservative branch of the Christian church is doing far more harm than good in the debate over homosexuality.

I am going to start with this.  I am going to attempt to withhold my closely held beliefs on this topic and instead focus on what I see as a great misunderstanding and injustice being served by the more conservative parts of the Christian denominations.

In being emphatically driven to shout how wrong homosexual relationships are, we have become that which we work our lives not to be: judgmental, unloving hypocrites.  We have decided to let people scream at the top of their lungs the evils of this behavior and preach condemnation from the pulpit. But let’s take a look at our universal example of how we should deal with these issues, Jesus.

Jesus lived in times of active and accepted homosexuality by the roman rulers of the day.  While the Jews did not practice and condemned it, Jesus spoke out on issues of Roman and Jewish natures.  I find it telling that not once in his recorded ministry did Jesus condemn homosexuality.  Now he did reaffirm the biblical concepts of creation and of Adam and Eve’s union, but he stopped short of same sex condemnation. 

Instead Jesus focused on support, love and openness.  He saw sin, confronted it, forgave it and invited the individual to walk with him.  So if we go to the least possible situation, at the most homosexuality could be classified as unrepentant sin.  Jesus confronted this with the women caught in prostitution.  What was his reaction to the crowd that was going to stone this woman?  Let he who has not sinned cast the first stone.  Then him, being the only one able to cast a stone, went to her and forgave her.  Then invited her to go and walk in a new life.

If we were to model our view of homosexuality after this model, how could it be different?  I think we’d be surprised how wrong we have gotten it.

On the other end of the spectrum is that homosexuality isn’t a sin at all.  That God made all people and all things for one and only one purpose to love and cherish him.  We should live our lives honoring and fulfilling that which he created us to do.  If we’d understand that our purpose on this earth has less to do with who someone is in a relationship with and more to do with the condition of their relationship with God, I think this whole mess would be solved.

I think we should all just shut up and love one another.  We should follow the commandments of our Lord and God to love the Lord your God and to Love your Neighbor as yourself.  Our churches are filled with unrepentant sin, if in fact homosexuality is a sin, why do we have to treat it any different?

We’ve Got It Wrong

(Post 350, wow)

By Justin

Sometimes things just get in my craw.  This one has been there for awhile.  And since I have decided that my blog is my own personal vent space, you have been warned.  A few disclosures to start:

This is my opinion, and not that of my wife.  You don’t have to agree, but you have to be respectful in your disagreement.  If you enjoy a healthy discourse, then by all means add a comment and let’s roll!

For the most part, I subscribed to the more conservative Christian theology.  I do not believe everything my denomination preaches and teaches is right, nor important.  But for the most part they have it right on the major things of death, burial and resurrection.  My heart has been heavy, for some time, over the discourse that has long since been brewing over homosexuality and the church.  I believe that we on the right have it all wrong.

There are two main things that bother me.  First is the political environment the second is the stance of the church on this issue.  I plan to tackle these in two separate posts.  First to the politics.

It is true that our founding fathers, for the most part, identified themselves as Christians.  The effects of their Christian values are weaved throughout our founding documents.  But important points have been lost, in my opinion.  The pilgrims left their homelands over religious persecution.  The founding fathers spent years debating the role of a republic form of government to prevent abuses by the majority on a minority.  So concerned were they that a defacto monarchy could rise again, that they went out of their way to prevent the federal government from proclaiming a national religion, among other rights.  Be clear about this, Christian men had an overwhelming majority in the drafting and ratifying the Constitution.  They could have easily formed a ‘Christian Nation’, but they didn’t and went out of their way to prevent it.

So as we evaluate the political issue, let us seek to minimize the influence of religion on this portion of the discourse.  In all honesty, I believe the government should do away with marriage.  The states should simply get out of the marriage license business.  The federal government should do away with married exemptions.  Simply put, let us be a nation of individuals where ‘all men are created’ and treated ‘equal’. 

Now how does this work?  Pretty simple.  If I want to buy a house and I need your income and credit to provide assurance, I will cosign.  Just like my dad did on my first new car.  Should we decided we are not longer ‘partners’ in the house then we will have to settle that amicably or go to the courts to resolve it.  Should I die, then you are contractually required to settle the debt or surrender the asset.  We do what we have been doing for years in contractual law.

Now before you have a heart attack, I’m not saying do away with marriage.  I am saying do away with government sanctioning of marriage.  For I believe that marriage, biblical marriage, has nothing to do with my marriage license.  I couldn’t care less what the state of Texas has given me permission to do.  What is important to me is the covenant vow I made with my Wife and my God in church two weeks after Texas gave me permission to marry.  I say, leave marriage to the vows with God and your spouse and leave the government out of it.

Now I am a realist.  This will never happen.  So back to reality.  Since this isn’t going to happen, then state sponsorship of marriage should be open to whomever wishes to marry.  If you want to enter into a legal contract, also known as a marriage license, so be it.  I don’t care if your gender is the same or not.  If something goes wrong then go dissolve your legal agreement in court, regardless of your gender.  I simply care not and honestly believe that our government shouldn’t either.

In the same vein, legal contracts (marriage licenses) should be treated fairly and equitably by all parties.  I’m not forcing you to go ‘against my religion’ for our Christian beliefs teach at length about justice.  See it as an ‘opportunity’ to love your neighbor. 

But let us also be clear that the separation of church and state is a two way street.  The government should not interfere with the practice of my religion, short of the protection of the weak, sick and young.  The government (state or federal) should not require my church to perform, recognize or even support same gender legal contracts should my church decided it is ‘against our religion’.  In fact, I’d argue that the Constitution protects our right for us to be the largest, loudest bigots on the face of the planet, should we so choose (westboro church, anyone?). 

I’d also admit this is a slippery slope.  If this goes to the extreme, then I can craft a ‘religion’ to allow or disallow anything.  Polygamy could be deemed to be legal and the government really not have a right to prevent it, unless it can show cause of harm.  ‘Child Brides’ and other controversial practices could become ‘acceptable religious practices’.  I am going to opt not to be crazy extreme about this.  I am sure FoxNews and MSNBC will do this for us. 

So I will close on this: Government: get out of the business of marriage and if you decide you can’t, the let’s get it all equal.  It is the least we can do. 

The End Before the Beginning

By Justin

Every good Presidential candidate hopes their vision of the future catches fire and propels them to greatness.  Some write books.  Some spend all their time in New Hampshire.  Some just have the right last name.  Sadly, these things never occurred.

So I am withdrawing from my fake presidential run.  It seems, like Newt, I failed to 'ignite the base' or 'reach for the middle'.  Now some will say that Energy and National Defense weren't really the best topics to start with, if debate and fire is what I sought.  They might be right, but in my political world if you can't get fired up over a good "clean coal" debate, then we really shouldn't discuss civil rights and the role of faith in society.  

So go back to CNN and listen to the hours and hours of nonsense and talking heads who have neither the ability to affect change nor the real answer, just a hypothetical of what might occur should something else occur in Congress.  

And for the record: in the short term the end of the world and the value of the American dollar will NOT disappear on August 2, should we have a fictitious 'default' on our debt.  Besides August 2nd was an estimate made by a political appointee, the Treasury Secretary.  And the same department gets to decide if we don't pay our debt or don't pay our electric bills or don't pay Congress.  So saying we default on our debt is saying it is our only payment due, which we all can attest, is not the case.  So lets stop the nonstop stupidity on CNN, pick a few things we shouldn't be paying for anyway...and get a deal done that really does put the good ole USA in better hands going forward.

Platform Discussion: Energy Policy

- 89% of USA energy consumption is from non-renewable sources (DOE)

- 41% of consumption is by residential users, 30% industrial, 29% transportation (DOE)

- The USA is the number one energy consumer in the world using 21%, China is next at 16% then Russia at 6%

It is easy and trendy to talk about energy policy when gas is $4 a gallon and we are fighting a war with the an oil exporter.  It is less so when gas is $2 and CNN's lead story is Justin Bieber.  The reality is there is not a single quick solution to the issue.  Just like most major issues it is going to take decisive decision-making to free our self in the future. So a few planks to the platform.

1. Expand the use of nuclear power.  Nuclear power made up only 11% of production in 2010 behind Coal, Oil and Gas.  It is safe and unmatched with regard to output vs. impact vs. left overs.  Yes the waste will outlive our kid's, kid's, kids.  But this waste pales in comparison to the gains made by the zero carbon footprint.  

I do not believe in clean coal.  I believe domestic natural gas and oil discovery has reached its peak.  I know the mining industry supports an entire section of our grand union's economy; however, we must work to lesson our dependence not just on 'foreign oil' but on all forms of nonrenewable energy.  While nuclear is nonrenewable, it is long term sustainable.

2. Invest in renewable energies.  Wind, wave and solar technologies need substantial government based investments to refine and make plausible in the near term future.  We should redirect some of the governments research in the sexual habits of men in Russia and Appalachian fruits towards solving the issues on generation, storage and delivery of these renewable energies.  It is easy to say that the government should get out of the way and let the private industry take the lead; however, the major players in the private industry have invested trillions of dollars into oil and gas exploration, delivery and refinement systems.  There is no motivation to advance renewable energies at an accelerated pace. 

3. Increase the gas tax by 25¢.  This money should be directed to help offset the startup costs of new nuclear power plants and the investments in research.  Easy as that.  A new agency should NOT be created to manage this money.  Throw it in with the Department of Energy grants and the oversight already created therein. 

4. We should carefully exploit domestic energy reserves.  We should be prepared for the possibilities that a 'friend' in the middle east is no longer a friend.  While they need us to purchase their oil to fund their regimes, it can get into difficult politics should they decide to no longer sell us their oil.  During this interim period of building nuclear plants and increase in research, we should complete careful exploration of domestic off shore drilling, Alaskan drilling, gas reserve locating and drilling in addition to continue refinement of the coal burning processes.  Additional consideration should be taken to determine the stock piling of these precious limited resources for use or sale in the long-term future (100+ years) could provide our nation with a strategic advantage.  As the amount of available resources diminished, the one holding the most reserves will be the one holding the trump card.  We, as a nation, do not want to be on the wrong end of that equation.  

A well rounded energy policy with clear direction is lacking in the nation.  With each change of President and/or party holding the office a new set of thoughts comes into being.  The result has been a policy toss around like a dingy in the ocean.  A clear, defined and well funded energy policy is a must.

Platform Discussion: National Defense

By Justin

The concept of national defense is tricky.  There is the notion of 'homeland defense' and the traditional concept of 'defending freedom'.  For this posting, we will tackle the traditional defending freedom.  I think we should start with a few facts.  As best that can be determined with little true research I turned to wikipedia.  The USA spent 687 billion dollars in 2010 in 'military expenditures'.  China is the next closes in expenditures at 114 billion.

So for 2010, the USA spent 6 times as much as the next 'superpower' in the world.  In fact, it takes the top 20 countries in the world to equal the spending by the USA on 'military expenditures'.  The fact is that the true cost of national defense is much, much higher.  If you add in defense organizations such as the FBI, veteran affairs, portions of the State Department, etc.  You easily get to a trillion dollars.

So the question of national defense is well warranted. So the Platform...

1. The Members of the Armed Forces deserve our admiration, respect and unwavering support.  The line from a Few Good Men by Jack Nicholson is so very true: 

"We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way"

It is easy for us to sit in our homes and complain about defense spending, conflicts and wars.  While worthwhile discussions and rightfully apart of the conversation, we must not forget the individuals who are carrying out their duties.  Spending on veterans should be examined, refined and reviewed. The Veterans Administration should be reviewed from top to bottom.  The methodologies and support functions for our veterans should be modern and cutting edge whether that be GI Bills, home loans or medical care.

2. The United States should continue to be a recognized international force for stabilizing otherwise unstable situations.  It is easy to say our role should not be a police force.  But saying so is like saying that homeless person should just get a job.  It isn't that easy.  An international force to address and respond to crisis is necessary and the reality is our country has the wealth and influence to be that nation.  It should be done with care, openness and always with the interests of the oppressed in mind.

3. The Armed Forces should be equipped to fight the newest threats with the more advanced technologies.  Evaluation of the methodologies of training and types of equipment should reflect the threats we face.  While all threats cannot be known, preparing for Icelandic space war should not top our spending priorities.

4. The monitoring, control, and (where needed) prevention of the spread of nuclear weapons is essential to domestic and international security.  I realize it is easy to sit behind our nuclear arsenal and say you can't have one.  I realize we are the only country in the history of time to use a nuclear weapon in an act of war.  However, I believe our values as a people would not stand for us to be 'rouge' in another use of a nuclear weapon.  Using our arsenal as an international veil of protection is warranted.  Preventing rogue nations, tribes or groups from acquiring nuclear weapons should be mission one.

Overall Discussion:  The talking of national defense could go on forever.  The truth is the 687 billion dollars is a major driver of the USA economy.  I am not a proponent of cutting defense spending, however, ensuring the spending is addressing current threats, preventing the spread of nuclear weapons, deployed in ways to assist those living under repressive regimes and ultimately providing the very best for the Men and Women in and out of uniform is key.  

If I was President, that 687 billion would be evaluated and some priorities would be shifted favoring Veteran spending, modernization and nuclear threats.

Current theaters of war, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya need to be evaluated.  I am not going to evoke President G.W. Bush's saying of 'Generals in the field will determine troop levels', but I will say that I have no vested trust that the Congress of the United States has the ability to not play politics with the US Military.  To that end, the Joints Chiefs of Staff should be advising the President on the ends that meet the means.  I will say I am confused on what exactly our ends, means or goals are in Libya.  So in effect I am 'punting' on the current theater questions.  Take that CNN!

I'm running for President

By Justin

I love politics.  I love talking politics.  I love debating politics.  Holly could care less.  Holly would probably have hard time knowing who the Vice President is.  That's okay.  It is what makes our relationship tick!  I hate that the 2012 campaign has already started.  I think we should seriously consider a law that says you can't touchdown in Iowa before six months prior to the primaries.  If you do, do not pass go, do not become president.

I will never run for political office.  At least I don't think I will.  So in the spirit of the current times I pleased to announce that I am running for President.  Now I am aware that I do not meet the qualifications under article two of the Constitution.  A minor detail.  In reality I just plan to launch a few blog posts over the next few weeks that tackle the major issues facing the candidates and our country.  I plan to post my views and maybe, just maybe, spur a little talking on the blog.  

Now we won't agree.  And respect will rule the day.  If you want to be disrespectful, go run to be a Senator.  This is a Presidential debate, and we will conduct our self accordingly.  I also want to start with this: "THESE VIEWS ARE MY OWN.  I do not speak for my wife."  Often times we disagree over major themes.  Also please do not try to box me into a political party, religious dogmatic theology, or even a regional belief system.  It won't work.  I also will not discuss the current President or GOP field of candidates.  This is intended to be lighthearted and fun while really helping me think through the issues.

So come along for the ride.  First 'Platform Discussion' is national defense.

Statistics

By Justin

I can't stand it when a statistic is used to inflate a problem. Instead of framing a problem or issue in 'real terms' we use a statistic to make it seem oh so much better or worse. No other place is this more apparant than in journalism. They have crazy important deadlines and the pressure to make a story must be enormous. Do you need an example?

Well lets start with this story from KCBD Newchannel 11 here in Lubbock. To see the full article go here. It is a story about OSHA warning employers and employees about the crazy hot heat and heat stroke. In that story they make the following statement:

"Last year nationwide more than 1,790 people became seriously ill from heat and more than 30 died."

This statement get me worked up, bad. First off "more than 30 people". Is that 31 or 3,890,903 people? You have a fairly exact number at 1,790, but not in the death number? Where did this number come from? Did KCBD research it, steal it from the 'heat death index' website, what? Does KCBD make it a habit to keep track of deaths nationwide caused by heat?

But more than the lack of sourse, the really irking thing to me is the use of a number to make this story important. Before we go any farther please know that I understand that heat related deaths and illness are 100% preventable. But what this bigger to me is if you put this number in context of the scope this article discusses, then a problem really doesn't exist. If the problem doesn't exist, then there is no need for this story. If there is no need for the story, then what is the ultimate need for the new organization as a whole. Lets break it down.

USA population: 308 million Source: US Census
USA working population: 121 milllion in 2008 (non farm) Source: US Census

So the percentage of working population affected by heat illness is:
(1,790 divded by 121 million *100) = .0014793%

So the percentage of deaths in the working populations is:
(30 divided by 121 million *100) = .000024793%

I see an epidemic on our hands...

More than anything I can't handle unnecessary exageration. This story loses nothing if it focuses on the real risks and concerns, the searing heat. So take heed cause 1 in 10 of my blog readers agrees with me.

Driving 101

By Justin
I know you are a bad driver when any of the following occur:
- You accelerate from the stoplight, and your brake lights are still illuminated.
 

- You hit your brakes and come to a complete stop to enter the center left turn lane.
 

- Your two year old is bouncing on the back seat of your car. 
 

- You are on the inside of a two lane left turn and you aren't even smart enough to follow the 'idiot lines' helping you know which lane to go into.
 

- You drive a sports car but can't beat the school bus off the line at the red light.
 

- The time you require for a break in traffic to execute a turn can be calculated using an egg timer.
 

- You wait until you can see my car over the top of the hill to turn off your bright lights.
 

- You ride with your bright lights on even on a divided highway with on coming traffic.
 

- You see the big flashing arrow instructing you to merge and get mad when I don't let you.
 

All of these items and more cause me to deduct IQ points from you on a scale directly proportional to my annoyance at the moment.  Happy Defensive Driving All!

Ode to Angela

by Justin

You probably dont know her. If you do, you are probably blog stalking...

If you have a chance to meet her you should.

In my life I have probably spent a sum total of one hour in her presence. I wish it could be more.

Angela makes people happy, just being in her presence. She is contagious that way.

She makes Holly's work days better, just being an IM chat away.

She chose to be a USA citizen and now knows more about the USA than 99% of all native-born Americans.

She is really a Canadian at heart, EH!

She loves pink and pink ribbons. It is a good thing, but a sad thing all at the same time.

Her mom and grandmother both lost thier battles with breast cancer. Angela is an amazingly strong woman because of it, even if she doesn't know it.

She walks the Komen 3-day for the Cure in their honor. You should support her here.

Mostly she likes crazy cat pictures and jokes.

Here is to you, Angela. An Ode to You, from West Texas...

Everyone Graduates!

By Justin

Kindergarten graduations...When did this become a standard of our society?  I didn't graduate from kindergarten.  In fact I only went half a day.  Maybe I need to start over.  But honestly Kindergarten graduations make no sense to me.  What did you accomplish?  You completed a year of school that isn't required (in Texas).  Who came up with this?  And now we have robes and ceremonies and cookies and punch.  Oh and pictures.  Don't forget the pictures.  

I have also heard of middle school graduation.  Seriously?  This is getting even more crazy.  What are you celebrating?  Congratulations you still have five or six more years to go.  Oh and you get to 'graduate' to Junior High where bullying and puberty will be oh so much fun.  

High School graduation is odd enough.  Whew you are done, but if you are smart you really aren't done.  So live it up for a night, cause in about three months you start at the bottom of the pool again.  And to show our immense intelligence on this day, what do we do?  Throw our hats with four pointy objects into the air.  Guess we didn't listen in Science class.  What goes up, must come down (eventually approaching terminal velocity). 

College graduation.  Now that is a reason to celebrate.  You are done with your formal education.  You get to join the work force and pay for the baby boomers to retire and have health care.  You are a 'contributing member of society'.  Now go forth and conquer.  But please don't conquer too fast, I don't need some young go getter to take my job.  

Picture update

By Justin

How about a quick picture update:

 

Easter Family Picture

I'm just helpin' mom...promise

 Just Keep Smiling!

Put your hand up on your hip...

Just a little snuggle with momma!

Parenting = Auditing

By Justin

I have thought for a long time that parenting is very similar to being an auditor.  While driving home today I finally put some examples in mind.  

1. You spend your life saying No and I'm sorry but the rules don't allow that.  I don't make the rules, I am just in charge of making sure we all follow the rules.

2. Eli likes to count 1,2,3,5,12,49,69,85,12,5.  See dad I counted to Ten!  Clients like to count: 1,2,3,4...I am sure the rest of the inventory is there.  Done!  Sometimes it is the later numbers that are the most important.

3.  Sometimes you have to ask the same question three different ways to see if the answers match.  

to Eli: Eli did you get in trouble at school today? Eli: No

to Eli: Eli did you have to go to time out at school today? Eli: No

to Eli: Eli did  you play nice and share today?  Eli: No.  to Eli: Why not?  Eli: Welllllll, Emily took my car cause I wouldn't share with her so I hit her.  to Eli: Did you get in trouble for hitting? Eli: Yes and I had to go to timeout.

@ Work: Are you aware of any fraud? No

@ Work: Are you aware of any thing that could be considered shady? No

@ Work: Are you aware of any one taking things home they shouldn't?  Well Stephanie does use her credit card to go to Sam's with on occasion, but she always says she pays us back.  Do you make sure she pays us back?  Oh that isn't my job, isn't that your job?

4. No matter what I say or do, I am the bad guy.  Even if I didn't make the rule, I am still in trouble.  Eli doesn't like that I make him go to bed.  The client doesn't like that I can't let them use the petty cash for lunch money.

5. At the end of the day, they both are rewarding in ways that is hard to explain to the outside world.

How is your job like parenting?

Where have you been?

By: Justin

Well I've been everywhere man...

We have been busy. Parenting two kids is...well...hard. Rewarding (most of the time) but hard. So we have become those parents who don't really spend that much time posting things, reading things or what have you...

I also think that Facebook has killed blogging. I said this week to a friend, Facebook has caused us to know so much about our friends, yet know our friends less than ever before.  I know where you ate last night, that your kid rocked it on the t-ball field and even that you have a test this week.  What I don't know is how you really are doing.  How your spouse or family is.  Even if we are really anything more than 'facebook friends'. 

So friends, lets all reconnect.  Lets send some emails, calls..heck maybe even a letter. 

What do you say?  Huh..sorry my phone dinged....someone just commented on a facebook post...

brb..