A co-worker/friend of mine and his fiance were brutally attacked in Chicago celebrating her birthday. She was weeks away from getting medical insurance with a new job and they are asking for help. They put together a website about the story and donations:

http://www.thewalkingmiracle.com

Please help them if you can.

I have a few comments on this. The charges for this blatant attack on innocent people have been upgraded to attempted murder which is good. Unfortunately, taxpayers will be paying for their food, clothing, television, play time, bedding, housing, legal services, medical and dental care.

The people who committed the crime and placed the innocent woman in the hospital missing 14 teeth and nearly losing her life, get free health and dental care. Meanwhile the woman who nearly lost her life has over $100,000 in medical bills so far and will likely have another $100,000 added to it.

Well, of course that makes sense. Reward the criminal, persecute the victim. How messed up is a country that has this type of social health system. People who are bucking the idea of a social health care system need to wake up and realize, we already have one (actually more if you count the military) in place and it is working for the criminals instead of the people paying their taxes and working for a living. People can be productive members of society and earn minimum wage and not be able to afford healthcare at up to two times their weekly income.

Second, please send money, prayers and good juju to Joe and Jen. They need all of the help they can get.

During lunch today, my Queen and I entered the discussion I have honestly been avoiding. The discussion comes down to bringing another life to this world and expanding our family, or not. Now, I normally do not discuss this type of stuff in my blog but I need to type my way through it all. There is a infinitesimally small possibility that my thought processes are wrong and I need to just expand the family.

First issue: I am rapidly approaching 42 years of age. When the child graduates from high school, I will have lived 60 years...if I make it that long. The next 18 years are the years my body will begin to break down from the abuse I have handed it over the past 42 years. The last thing I want to do is leave my not yet grown child without a parent much in the same way my father and my older kids mother did. I want to be able to live an active and fruitful life with my child.

Second issue: Mobility is something I have desired for quite some time. The ability to throw the family on a plane and take a trip to Bermuda or San Francisco is easy with only one child in tow. If I decide to take that job in Dublin, I want to be able to find housing to fit the entire family. Extra child means extra housing...and for that matter, added expense. Now that the 3 older children are pretty much on their own, we have a little bit of money to catch up on debts and get our financial affairs in order.

Third issue: What if the child is a boy? So far I have been fortunate enough to have all girls. With girls, I know what I am suppose to do. With boys, I haven't a clue. Yes, I understand that would a new learning experience and that is really what life is about, but when I am in my 50s, that same boy will want me to be active. When I was growing up, my step-father was well into his 60s and really didn't have the energy nor the physique to play basketball or throw the frisbee with me. I loved him dearly, but I felt as though I missed out on that portion of the relationship. Granted I will be 8 year junior to him during this process, but I still have to wonder.

Fourth issue: Where do we put the child? We have downsized so much that the one child that has moved back in with us until she get back on her feet is a bit of a crowd. The "guest room" would become the nursery...or we find a larger place, which I am not terribly keen about.

On the other hand, the Queen has made a few good points. She feels that I am not too old and that 60 is fine for men to be. "It is not like you will be 80." Additionally, she stated that it isn't fair to her that we go through the marriage in a monthly pattern of am-I-pregnant, I-think-I-am-pregnant, I-am-not-pregnant disappointment and that I should get a vasectomy. To be fair, she is right about that one. It is very selfish of me not to think that way.

She also made a couple arguments I discarded such as "I am bored" and "Your first wife had 3, why can't I?" For those my response is "take a class and get out of the house" and "I figured I would have a total of 3 kids."

Now, let me walk through each of my own issues.

First issue: I see plenty of people around me living fruitfully in their 50s. Medicine has extended the average lifespan to 83 years for men. With my wife's help, she will prod me into going to the doctor regularly to make sure I live another decade before she kills me off.

Second issue: With the price of transportation as a whole skyrocketing, the odds of us taking a jet weekend are slim. As far as taking a position in Dublin, it would matter if it were 1 child or 2 children to move internationally. On the money front, I am doing well with staying above the salary line, that will not change. Besides, all of the debt should be resolved by the time the baby is born.

Third issue: Deal with it. Your friend Bryan has 5 girls until he recently had a boy added to the clan. He is happy and looks forward to spending time with him. On a side note, I believe he is also 40 something. I am sure having a boy to carry on the Burkholder name will not be a bad thing either since I am the last one.

Fourth issue: The quick answer is to get the 20 year old out on her own. The 19 and 18 year old children have plans and are executing them successfully. The eldest said she would be on her own in November. Honestly, I think it will be February, but either way, it is before a baby.

How old is too old really? How nuts will I become if I have another little version of me? I know how much terror I provided my Mother. Is my own selfishness getting in the way of my wife's happiness? That would be the last thing I would want to do. I just don't know.

I decided to add this last tidbit after publishing... If the Queen just ended up getting pregnant, I would not have an issue, and I would actually embrace it. But the idea of planning out a family is the struggle I have most.

Also, found this while contemplating. (http://ask.metafilter.com/37116/How-old-is-too-old-to-father)

Hot topic today... Wall Street Journal (http://blogs.wsj.com/juggle/2008/09/12/too-old-to-be-a-father/?mod=hpp_asia_blogs)

Here I am 7 years after the September 11, 2001, and I am still dealing with what happened on that fateful day. The Queen is right though, most of America really has no idea how much of an impact it had on the people of New York, Washington, D.C, or Flight 93. I have written a previous blog entry about September 11. That one day changed my life in more ways than I could possibly imagine.

Normally, I do not work on September 11 out of respect for those who were lost. But today, I came to work. I guess it is my way of telling terrorist that I am no longer immobilized by the day itself. I have healed enough to move on and basically tell them to screw themselves.

On another note, why is it after 7 years and the occupation of two countries we have still not caught and terminated Osama Bin Laden? Why is it, the intelligence community that works so well at ensuring our security and liberties can't find the number 1 most wanted man in the world? Personally, if the country is willing to create laws to encroach on my civil liberties, I expect results on catching that bastard.

Yes, yes, I have moved on from shock, fear and somber to angry.

With the strongest military, the most advanced technology, and the highest amount of money spent in the world to occupy other countries and defend our own country, why is it we can't locate or at least find a particle of DNA?

After all, we are literally going broke with the creation of Homeland Security, the increased military spending, and the resulting decrease in socioeconomic spending. What happened to the days where congress was deadlocked because the budget wasn't balanced? How is it the "conservative" party has now become the largest spending party in American history? How is it the "liberal" party who wants to raise taxes and lower spending now has pie on their face because they need to make up for the spending habits of our current administration?

As a country, we are broke with a deficit of 9.695 Trillion dollars. What does that mean? It means we own other countries that much money. During the Clinton administration, for the first time, the deficit clock actually rolled backward. For this, the dollar climbed and was stronger overall in the world market. Whoa! I am way off topic.

As a country, we have yet to find the number 1 most wanted person.

As a country, we are in worse shape with petroleum than before the unprovoked attack on Iraq. Before invading Iraq, fuel prices were $1.82 per gallon. Wouldn't you love to see fuel back at that price? Exxon Mobil posted 40 Billion in profit last year. Chevron posted 16.7 Billion in profit last year. Think the oil companies are not doing well under the current administration? What ever happened to Enron in 2001? Kenneth Lay died of natural causes while vacationing in Colorado in June 2006 as a free man. He was convicted in May 2006. The company filed for bankruptcy, carved up the company and sold it off. Off topic again...sorry.

As a country, why do we feel more secure? Is it because we built a fence between the US and Mexico? Does anyone realize that the fence takes about 30 seconds to get through, over, or under? How about the proposed new fence bordering Canada? Since we have Mexican illegals building the Mexico fence, maybe we could get Canadian illegals to build the Canadian fence. While we are at it, let's build fences along the coastlines to prevent Bermudans and Chinese from boating their way into our country. After all, we don't want to start a melting pot effect. Do you feel more secure knowing the government is listening to all of your phones calls, reading all of your email, and monitoring the library books you check out? Do you feel more secure knowing that you can walk into a gun store and buy enough ammunition to defend yourself from the evil axis...and that your neighbor can go into the same store and buy enough ammunition to make a collection of pipe bombs so they can blow themselves up in the mall?

Yes, those are international terrorist. You can spot them and stop them. Well, not exactly. Ever heard of Timothy McVey? He was that friendly American fellow that leveled a building with a nursery in it in Oklahoma City.

I am NOT saying that Obama is the answer by any means. I am also not saying that McCain will make the necessary changes. I am not even saying this is a political discussion. I AM saying that as a country, we need to wake up and smell the jet fuel. These people lost their lives. As a country, if we believe we have resolved the issue of terrorism, we are under a great delusion. As a country, we need to take over a country for the people and by the people. It is not a revolution, but an evolution. Pay tribute to those who gave their lives.

New York City: 2,774 people
Pentagon: 184 people
Pennsylvania: 40 people

US Military since then: 4,741 people

Meetups is the term of choice now for social meetings or get-togethers. I personally don't care what it is called. My intent is to meet new people, have some fun, and try mixing my non-social personality with society. So far, I have been successful. I have not alienated anyone with my extreme geekyness.

One night a month my geek socializes with other geeks...except I was one of two people at the new technology meetup that was actually working in and on computers. Of the two of us, I was clearly the ubergeek...which is somewhat sad since Northern Virginia is considered a technology hot-spot. I had to ask them why they went to the meeting if they weren't really new technology gurus. Most often my responses were "I used to work in it" or "we recruit from here." So, I guess the idea of doing a presentation on Exchange 14 would really fall on a small or deaf audience. However, there was drinking involved and I did meet some great people.

As of tomorrow night, I will be attending my first Tuesday night bowling meetup. If you have read any previous posts, you will know I like to bowl. But for this particular meetup, I am not getting my hopes up. I will of course walk in with my bowling ball and shes, but I expect that the only people really attending will be people who like to play kickball or ultimate frisbee...not bowlers.

Now that every Tuesday and one Thursday a month is occupied, and the Queen is out every Wednesday, the week may actually go by rather quickly. It is not that I want to get away from my wife, but I need to have my own life. After the meetups, I actually have something to talk about.

If you are anything like my close friend, I suggest going to meetups.com and finding something to do. I am considering the karaoke meetup one time since it is right down the street.

We now live in an apartment that until last week, was incredibly sound-proof. The new "apartment" is really more a townhouse because we have multiple levels. We had neighbors downstairs who have recently moved out but honestly, we did not hear them and they said they didn't hear us.

We have a new neighbor next door on our 3rd level. We heard them move in and kept slamming what we thought was closet door against our wall.

Last night, I came to the conclusion that it wasn't the closet door. I believe it is the headboard. With the rhythmic vibrations of the wall shaking the pictures, I could hear them go at it. About 25 seconds in, the crescendo of moans and groans turned into screaming for an intense 5 seconds. That guy was definitely having a good time. I swear you could hear him screaming a block over.

This bring me to my point, if you are going to be a screamer, don't be a dude. If you are going to be a screamer, last longer than 30 seconds. If you are going to be a screamer, and headboard banger, move the bed away from the wall. I had to straighten the pictures after and I didn't even need a smoke.

The Queen and I have decided we are going to scream out coaching remarks next time... we are SUCH good neighbors. Remarks will sounds like:

SLOW DOWN!

TO THE LEFT!

THE OTHER LEFT!

SHE NEEDS TO MOAN LOUDER!

HARDER, FASTER!

right before climax... MORE, MORE MORE!

Clap after climax...and get dirty looks every time they walk outdoors. Won't this be fun?