Warmest regards,

Rob Montañez & Family

"very concerned about rice shortage, it's a staple of most Latino and Asian diets. Many 3rd world nations face serious food shortages"

Your Name: Roger

Your Email: ______@mac.com

Subject: rice shortage

Message: If you are so worried about the rice shortage, you shouldn't be voting for Obama. Have you noticed WHEN gas and food prices started going up at a ENORMOUS rate?? Try 2006, when the democrats grasped power in the US House and Senate. Why are prices high? Because of all of their rules and laws for Global Warming.

Don't get me wrong, I love the planet, I recycle, I don't litter, I try to do things to help the planet, but there is no proof MAN is making global warming, let alone there being global warming at all. I live in MN, and TODAY we got 1/2" of snow. Some places got as much as 18" and it is still snowing. TODAY there are wind chills in the TEENS here in the Twin Cities.

I don't want to get in a big political debate with you, but for every scientist you find saying there IS global warming, I can find one saying there ISN'T. But global warming is the reason for food shortages, ever hear of biograde fuels?? Soyfuel, cornfuel, that is what is doing it. People who usually grow other crops are now growing CORN in MN so they can get a lot of money from Ethanol.Just letting you know WHY we are having these global and local food shortages.

Hi Roger,

Thanks for your email. I appreciate good discourse and discussion. It's the only way we are gonna tackle real issues in this world.

I already know why we have shortages. I'm completely aware that the bio-fuel programs for ethanol have created soaring food prices and shortages. I'm against bio-fuels, as I believe to devote agricultural land to biofuel production is a crime against the poor and hungry of our world. There are alternative technologies that do not use food products (and some that do that are less harmful) that can (and should) be pursued.

Now if I were a democrat (and I'm not aligned with any party as I feel they both have failed the American people), I could argue that the republican Bush administration didn’t consider biofuel development a threat to the poor when it plodded ahead with support of bio-fuel initiatives, but that would continue the kind of political party partisanship that gets us all in trouble in the first place.

I'm not supporting Mr. Obama because he is a democrat. On the contrary, I am voting for him because he rejects the argument you make below that it's any one party's fault. We have to tackle these issues together and stop playing the party blame game. It wastes time and keeps us from moving forward as a race --- the human race.

I disagree with you on global warming. It exists, the numbers and statistics are irrefutable, but biofuels (as currently used) are not the answer if people have to starve to death.

Regards,

Rob

P.S. I'd like your permission to post this discussion on my blog (without your email of course). Feel free to continue this conversation via the blog comments section

It was a cold night and unfortunately the Yanks lost 5-2, but we did have some fun and got to see Alex Rodriguez hit a 2-run moon shot deep into the left-centerfield seats. I put up some good photos. Enjoy!

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete.

Remember, spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side. Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you. Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again. Give time to love, give time to speak, and give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

HOW TO STAY YOUNG:

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctor worry about them. That is why you pay him/her.
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. " An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life, is God & ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, to the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.
10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

If you don't send this to at least 8 people.... who cares?

Congratulations to my beautiful daughter Livia who graduated from Timber Creek High School today. We are very proud of her! I put up some photos and videos of this joyful event.

My nephew Pedro Tejeda married his college sweetheart Nikole Barnes this weekend. It was a wonderful family event and lotsa love was shared and felt by all. I put up some photos .

In an endless effort to embarrass my 2 kids as much as I possibly can, I put up several baby videos on the site. They are from 1990 and if you look carefully you will spot my brother and I with the obligatory 1980's afro haircuts. Ouch!

We then stayed overnight at the Cedars on The Lake cabins in Peru, NY near the university.

Cedars is a really pretty cottage nestled on the shores of Lake Champlain. We celebrated Mother's Day the next day. Very beautiful area. Other than the usual family dust-up and skirmishes (unavoidable when you cram 12 passionate Hispanic people into a confined space for several hours!), lotsa fun had by all. I put up some photos and videos from the 2-day event.

Put up another 2007 Timber Creek High School Indoor Percussion Ensemble Video. This one is of their closing performance in Wildwood, NJ over the weekend. The kids (including my son Daniel) look like they had fun. Congratulations to the students, teachers, instructors and parents on a fine season!

I updated my website and added some interactivity. You can now communicate with registered users of the site and find discussions and help on various topics. in the new Forums section of my website you will find topic areas like music, art, and technology.

While in college my nephew helps produce and direct a show that covers high school sports in section 7 of the northeast area of the U.S referred to as the "north country". The show is called Sports Rap Live. My nephew will also graduate from college next week and he will soon be interviewing for a job he is pursuing at ESPN, too. I'll be attending the ceremony and I'll post some photos and videos of the event as soon as I get a chance. When I was a teenager I had aspirations of becoming a sportswriter, but life took me in other directions. I'm proud of my nephew and its nice to see a family member pursue their dreams.

2) Nintendo Wii:

This gaming console is not as technologically advanced as a PS3 or an XBox 360, but is arguably much more fun and definitely more affordable than the others. It's designed to attract people, regardless of their age or video game experience, to play together.

3) Sony HDR-HC7 6MP MiniDV High Definition Camcorder:

This baby is capable of recording and playing back High Definition (HD).

4) Apple TV:

I think I'll just quote Apple again:

5) Sony PS3:

I've had one of these game consoles for 3 months now and it's a pretty amazing system, but the games (other than Resistance: Fall of Man) haven't done anything to get me excited. The other things it does like play back Blue-ray disc movies is amazing!

I decided to reactivate my old www.robmontanez.com domain and also redesigned the web site. I think it looks pretty good. :) Let me know what you think!

I put up some more photo albums in the Main Picture Area. I also included some help information that explains how to view the pictures and download the entire albums for those of you that are computer novices. Enjoy!

I came across some pictures of old 3D graphics I rendered way back in 1994 on an Amiga 2000 using Lightwave 3D. I put them up in the photo area here. Very simple stuff that used to take hours to make and animate, but it brought back very fond memories of when I had time for that sort of thing. Times have certainly changed!