Skating Party Video

Turtle Pool!

Comparing US vs Latin America // Child Abuse

I do not know how many of you get the newspaper... my wife will tell you I am one of few people my age who read it on a regular basis. But one thing struck me yesterday. On one page of yesterday's Chicago Tribune three of the attached four articles were on the same page.

One question I get a lot is, "Why aren't you working here in the US? There are children in horrible circumstances down the street, facing physical and sexual abuse, negelect, etc."
This is a tough question because it is true children are suffering around the world. For the most part here in the United States these children have advocates fighting for them: teachers report physical abuse, police respond to domestic violence, local governments have taken a stand for children. On the other hand in developing countries the cries of these children often go unheard.

As an example of this it is reported that 80,000 babies die of physical abuse in Latin America and has a population of 569 million. 80,000!

It is estimated that similar deaths in the US total 1,200 (population 304 million).



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Aug 5 Chicago Tribune
Aurora woman gets 9 years for abusing son, 3
Tribune staff report
...in June to one count of aggravated battery to a child and two counts of domestic abuse. She was sentenced July 29 by Kane County Judge...at the insistence of her boyfriend, brought the child to a hospital two days later for treatment. ...
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August 5, 2009 |story
Mich. man, 31, arrested in sex assault on boy, 11
Associated Press
...was arrested Wednesday. The charges including first-degree criminal sexual conduct stem from a report of an assault on the child on July 11. The man was being held in the Clare County jail. He faces up to life in prison if convicted. Harrison...
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August 5, 2009 |story
Ind. officer accused of taping sex acts with girl
Associated Press
...2008. Forty-five-year-old Lawrence Ross Frame was charged Wednesday with possession of child pornography and five counts of production of child pornography. He faces 15 to 30 years in prison on each production count and up to 10 years...
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August 5, 2009 |story
SC man charged in Iowa baby's death seeks delay
Associated Press
A former Iowa City man accused of killing his infant son nearly four years ago wants his trial delayed. Brian...trouble breathing at Dykstra's home in Iowa City. The child was taken to a hospital and died the next day. Dykstra wasn...
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30 Days Continued

So I was working at my desk preparing for a meeting and the doorbell rang.

An overnight delivery from FedEx. I open the envelope and there is a paper and all it says is:

www.oldmanschulte.com

So I read the website... quite amusing. Not 30 seconds later my cell phone rings. It's Ben. The creator of the website and the mailer of the letter. As soon as he received confirmation that I had accepted the package he sent me, he gave me a call.

SUPER fun and creative... Thanks Ben!

Continuing the 30 Days Until my Birthday

As the 30 days leading up to my 30th birthday continues (thanks babe). Yesterday I had two great experiences. First I got a call from Chris McElwee (friend and local pastor at our church) and we went out to play some disc golf.

First round of 9 I did horrible and he walluped me. The second round brought much improvement and a tie-game at even for the round. Thanks Chris!!!

Jason Clayton (who cheated "his" day was Wed) and some other families went to a minor league baseball game, Kane County Cougars. 20 minutes before the game Jason pulled me aside and told me that he had arranged for me to throw in the first pitch!

It was true, me and a few other people, including "Mr Breath Right Illinois" and a 3 year old all got to throw in the "first" pitch of the game. It was fun. Here's the video:

Toby how to change your Jeep rotors and pads

When you take off your wheel this is what you see. The thing on the right holds the pads, the thing it "hugs" is the rotor. Begin by removing the thing that holds the pads... There are two bolts on the back to be removed:



Bolts in

Bolts out. Now that this is loose, do NOT let it hang by the tube which carries the brake fluid to the "thing that holds the brake pads"(caliper?). Set it on something or use wire to suspend it from your shocks... I set it on my ramp. Then remove the brake pads, after much work I discovered that there is a wire that presses down (pictured on top right of caliper). Use pliers to pull one end of the wire to the right lossening the grip on the brake pad.

Old brake pads coming loose.

Comparing old and new brake pads. You can see that the new one is much thicker, so you have to use a C clamp to push the piston back into the caliper... make sure and retract it all the way so you can get your pads in.

Some websites say you should retract these pistons with the old brake pad in so that you retract them both at the same time... I had trouble getting my c-clamp in their with the old one in place. It will take some "jimmy-ing" to get the new ones in place, but generally you I put the one that touches the piston in first, then used my hands to slide a piece of the caliper to make room to put the outer brake pad in place.






To remove the rotor I used a ten pound hammer, then I sprayed some WD-40 into each bolt hole, let it sit (while I worked on the pads), smack it several times and repeat. DO NOT HAVE YOUR PARKING BRAKE ON if you are replacing the rear rotors (learned that one the hard way).

Then you slip the new rotor on, and bolt the caliper back in place.

Good luck!

Sunglasses

Our little guy (finally!) absolutely loves to wear his sunglasses (thanks again grammy and grampa!). . . .while napping or at the teddy-bear picnic storytime at Cantigny Park. Thought you'd enjoy seeing them :) . K

Jack of all, a master of none

The phrase that I would use to describe today (Saturday) is: Jack of All Trades, Master of None.

Here's what today looked like for me:

7:30 - 8 - Short Order Cook - Make Eggs-in-the frame for the family.
9-11 am - Mechanic - I changed rear brake pads and rotors on Jeep (a new skill I acquired this year)
12-1:30 - Father - Played trains, read books, and put Joshua down for a nap
2-3 - Handy Man - Run to Home Depot to get a replacement hinge for bathroom medicine cabinet and install
3:30-5 - Multi-tasker - Play with Joshua in the Jeep, teach him to use a screwdriver, remove broken CD changer to make storage space, water plants outside
5:30-6 - Chef - Cut apples with Joshua (he ate, I cut) for Kristin to make a dessert
6-7 - Barber - Cut Joshua's hair
7-9 - Painter - Repaint bathroom ceiling, touch up white trim paint
9-10 - Teacher - Prep for teaching in an Adult Community at Wheaton Bible Church tomorrow.

Thank you God for the health you have given me to try so many things and to do them well.