Unfinished Business

Just a little over a week left before UFC 49.  I hope all our friends will be able to make it over for the best fight night ever!!!  And bring some of your friends who you think would like it!!!

Most of you know how big a boxing fan I've always been.  If you've never seen a UFC fight, or if you've only seen a few of the fights from the early 90s.. then come watch UFC 49.  UFC has evolved over the last 10 years to the point where (in my opinion) these are the best fights you can see anywhere.  These are definately the best hand-to-hand combatants in the world.

From the UFC website --> Randy Couture has unfinished business to take care, when he fights Vitor Belfort for the light heavyweight title in Ultimate Fighting Championship® 49: Unfinished Business at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday, August 21st.

The UFC brings together the most talented martial arts experts in the world. UFC fighters come from the US, Canada, Brazil, Japan, Russia, Holland, England, etc. All UFC fighters have previous combat sports experience and many are World or Olympic champions. UFC athletes train up to six hours a day or more in preparation for an event. Almost all have studied martial arts as a lifelong vocation.  Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is an intense and evolving combat sport in which competitors use interdisciplinary forms of fighting that include Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Karate, Boxing, Kickboxing, Wrestling and others to their strategic and tactical advantage in a supervised match. Scoring for MMA events in Nevada, New Jersey, Louisiana, Massachusetts, and Florida is based on athletic-commission approved definitions and rules for striking (blows with the hands, feet, knees or elbows) and grappling (submission, choke holds, throws or takedowns). No single discipline reigns.

We are sure to have a great time on Saturday, August 21... Don't miss out!!

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Ben with a Chick on a Chopper on his Birthday

Happy Birthday Ben !!!  10 years.... and you've only had one broken arm.  It's a miracle !!!  You rrrreeeeeallllllly look cool on that chopper.  All the chicks were digging you at your Bday party at Austin Park and Pizza last Friday night.  I think I might need to get me a chopper.  Of course, since I have a driver's license, I will have to get a big one with a motor.  Anyway, I wouldn't be able to ride one for long if I had to pedal the whole time.

Sorry, I would have posted pics of the adults at your party, but there were no pics that made us look really good.  These are on the internet, you know.. for everyone to see.... so only the best pics will do.

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Charles Dickens vs. Homer Simpson

I've always said that Homer Simpson represents mankind.... today anyway.  One of my favorite Simpson scenes involves Bart being held hostage on the top floor of a building.  All of Springfield has gathered in to oooo and aaahhh.  The police chief, unsuccessful in his hostage negotiations, hands the bullhorn to Homer.  Homer looks up with a frightened and anxious look on his face... lifts the bullhorn to his mouth... "Baaaarrrt?" he asks almost mournfully.  "Yeah..." calls down Bart.  Homer, looking sad and dumbfounded, asks "Do you know where the remote is?"

We spent over 8 years without a television, spring of 1992 to fall of 2000.  1991 to 1992 was my first year of law school, and the television severely interfered with my ability to study.  It was difficult to overcome the addiction, but once we finally broke free from the mind-numbing control of the boob-tube, we began to think clearly, engage in long conversations, and to read.  I read 5x more classic literature in those 8 years than I ever did in high-school and college.... and I appreciated it.

Earlier this week, I read about a report issued by the University of Wisconsin concerning America's Most (and least) Literate Cities.  79 of the largest cities in the U.S. were studied in terms of the literacy behaviors of their citizens. (i.e. buying newspapers, buying books, checking materials out of libraries, etc.)  I was surprised and disappointed to see that 5 of the 10 cities at the very bottom of the list were in Texas.  El Paso came in dead last.

So now here's my dilemma.  I read contracts, memos, law reviews, emails, and other documents all day long at work.  For the past few years, I've enjoyed coming home and vegging out.  But I'm setting a bad example for my kids, and they'd be so much smarter if I could pull out of this "ignorance is bliss" tailspin I'm in.  I know what I need to do.... I need to buy a good book, stay away from the computer, get comfortable on the couch in the den, make sure no one turns on the TV, and read for a change.

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Rick Featured in Texas HHS News

Karen gets the Texas Health and Human Services newsletter each month at work and emailed us this morning to let us know that our fellow boxing aficionado Rick Neeck was featured in the August issue.

Way to go Rick !!!  I'm sure if they had asked about your interests outside of work, you would've told them you really enjoy getting together with friends to watch great boxing matches.

The link above will probably end up getting broken, so here's the text:

Name: Rick Neeck
Agency: Office of Inspector General
Title: Investigator

What I do
Investigate Medicaid provider fraud.

How I got started in this field
I started doing investigations with Children's Protective Services. I investigated child abuse and neglect for six years. I have been investigating Medicaid provider fraud for almost four years.

My best day on the job
Last year, I identified a provider that had defrauded the Medicaid program of over $600,000. I investigated the case and referred it for criminal prosecution. I testified at the trials of the two owners of the company in May and June of this year. They were a married couple. In late May, the husband was sentenced to 35 years in prison and, in early June, his wife received 63 years and two months. This was one of the biggest sentences anybody has heard of for a white-collar crime. That was a good day on the job.

How I make a difference
My No. 1 role is as a fiduciary for the state Medicaid program. I identify overpayments and pursue recoupment of any money that has been paid in error. I help identify fraudulent and abusive providers and get them out of the program. I help put policies in place that assure that the Medicaid program does not suffer from fraud, waste or abuse. We hope this helps put more money in the system for the Medicaid recipients to get necessary, legitimate services.

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Finally ate at Hutt's

After 4 1/2 years in Austin, we finally made it down to Hut's Hamburgers on 6th street. (me, Priscilla, Josh, Ben, Susanna, Kaitlyn, and Olga).

This place has been voted "Best Hamburger in Austin" about 15 times since 1987, so I'm not sure why we waited this long. Hut's has a 50s atmosphere, and many of the framed newsclippings and photos on the wall appear to be from the 50s or earlier. The building was first occupied as Sammie's Drive-In in August of 1939.

I tried to order one of their hot (spicy) burgers, so I could compare it to my favorite hamburger place, the Casino el Camino (also on 6th). So I ordered the Chub burger or something like that. It tasted good, but it wasn't all that hot. The Buffalo Burger at Casino el Camino is still 3x better than any burger I've ever had.

If you like 50s music and atmosphere, you'll like this place. I enjoyed seeing the heavily pierced guy with 50% tatoo coverage and the girl who looked like she had come straight from the set of Happy Days, except that she was wearing very dark lipstick and her hair was dyed pitch black. Our waitress was outstanding.

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